Operation arrested 37 suspectsReproduction / Internet
Published 04/18/2024 10:47
London police announced on Thursday (18) that they had infiltrated a website used by 2,000 criminals to fraud online around the world, leading to the arrest of 37 suspects.
In operation since 2021, the “LabHost” criminal network enabled the creation of phishing sites with the aim of fraudulently obtaining bank details, according to Scotland Yard.
Since its creation, the site has managed to obtain almost 1 million pounds ($1.24 million or R$6.5 million) from the people they defrauded, according to London police.
The investigation established that almost 70,000 victims in the UK provided personal information on one of LabHost’s fraudulent websites.
“LabHost has been disrupted following a worldwide operation led by the London Metropolitan Police,” Scotland Yard announced.
Worldwide, LabHost managed to fraudulently obtain 480,000 bank card numbers and one million passwords used on websites or online services.
The investigation, which brought together police forces from 19 countries, identified at least 40,000 phishing sites linked to LabHost, which had 10,000 users worldwide, Europol said in a statement.
According to the European organization, LabHost had a “particularly destructive” element that allowed criminals to monitor phishing campaigns in real time and bypass security measures.
“Online fraudsters believe they can act with impunity,” that “they can hide behind digital entities and platforms like LabHost and have absolute confidence that these sites are impenetrable to law enforcement,” said Lynne Owens, Deputy Commissioner from Scotland Yard in a statement.
