Police services from 19 countries, including Belgium, have shut down one of the largest phishing platforms known as “LabHost” based in the UK.
The operation was coordinated by Europol, resulting in the dismantling of the criminal network responsible for thousands of fraudulent websites, according to a statement released by the European police cooperation agency on Thursday.
Over 70 raids took place globally between Sunday 14 April and Wednesday 17 April, culminating in 37 arrests. Four individuals directly linked to the fraudulent website were apprehended in the UK, including the mastermind behind the platform.
“Phishing as a service” is a rapidly growing form of cybercrime. In essence, criminals offer their expertise and ‘phishing’ tools to others in return for payment. Phishing entails deceitfully convincing people to share sensitive information such as passwords.
The international police investigation, spanning over a year, revealed at least 40,000 fraudulent websites linked to LabHost, with approximately 10,000 users worldwide.
LabHost, operational since 2021, fraudulently gained access to 480,000 bank card numbers and a million passwords used for various internet sites or online services, the London police have confirmed.
