Police have successfully infiltrated a massive fraud website called LabHost, which was being used by 2,000 criminals to obtain personal information from unsuspecting victims. The Metropolitan Police in Britain has arrested 37 suspects and identified around 70,000 victims in the U.K. who fell prey to LabHost.
LabHost managed to obtain over 480,000 credit card numbers, 64,000 PIN codes, and more than 1 million passwords. The police have contacted up to 25,000 victims in the U.K. to notify them of the data breach.
LabHost was created in 2021 by a criminal cyber network to deceive victims into providing sensitive information like bank details and passwords through fake websites. Criminals used the website to exploit victims by creating fake websites resembling those of reputable brands.
Private companies such as Chainalysis, Intel 471, Microsoft, The Shadowserver Foundation, and Trend Micro collaborated with law enforcement to dismantle LabHost. The investigation began in June 2022 after intelligence was shared by the Cyber Defence Alliance.
The coordinated effort between law enforcement agencies, private companies, and international police forces led to the successful takedown of LabHost and the arrest of several individuals involved in this fraudulent network.
International police have successfully infiltrated a massive fraud website called LabHost that was used by over 2,000 criminals to steal personal information from unsuspecting victims. The website collected information such as email addresses, passwords, and bank details, with a total of 480,000 credit card numbers, 64,000 PIN codes, and over 1 million passwords being obtained by the criminals.
The Metropolitan Police in the U.K. have identified just under 70,000 individual victims who entered their details into LabHost’s websites, and have contacted up to 25,000 victims to notify them of the compromise. So far, 37 suspects have been arrested in connection with the operation, with police also disrupting LabHost’s websites and replacing them with a message stating that the services have been seized.
LabHost was set up in 2021 by a criminal cyber network, allowing fraudsters to scam victims out of their personal information by creating fake websites that mimicked trusted brands such as banks, healthcare providers, and postal services. The network believed that they could act with impunity and hide behind digital identities, but the successful operation has shown that law enforcement can come together with private sector partners to dismantle international fraud networks at the source.
The investigation into LabHost began in June 2022 after the Cyber Defence Alliance provided intelligence to the police about the website’s activities. A collaboration between the Met’s Cyber Crime Unit, the National Crime Agency, City of London Police, Europol, regional U.K. authorities, and other international police forces led to the takedown of LabHost with the help of private companies such as Chainalysis, Intel 471, Microsoft, The Shadowserver Foundation, and Trend Micro. This operation highlights the importance of cooperation between law enforcement and private sector partners in combating cybercrime and protecting individuals from falling victim to fraudulent activities.
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