Police have arrested 37 members of a criminal gang responsible for operating a phishing subscription website that deceived up to 70,000 victims in the UK into providing their bank details on fraudulent sites.
The LabHost cyber fraud platform allowed criminals to log in and select from existing schemes or request custom pages that mimicked those of reputable brands, including banks, healthcare providers, and postal services. By early 2024, over 40,000 fraudulent websites had been created, with about 2,000 users paying a monthly subscription fee. Those who opted for a “worldwide membership,” enabling them to target victims internationally, paid between £200 and £300 monthly.
The site was dismantled in a coordinated operation led by the Metropolitan Police’s cyber crime unit, with assistance from various law enforcement agencies and technical support from Chainalysis, Intel 471, Microsoft, The Shadowserver Foundation, and Trend Micro.
Detectives have confirmed that nearly 70,000 individuals in the UK entered their details on one of LabHost’s fraudulent sites. Globally, the operation has compromised 480,000 card numbers, 64,000 PINs, and over one million passwords associated with various online services. The actual number of victims is likely higher, and efforts are ongoing to identify and assist as many affected individuals as possible.
Dame Lynne Owens, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service, emphasized that online fraudsters often believe they can operate without consequences, hiding behind digital identities and platforms like LabHost. However, she affirmed that recent operations demonstrate law enforcement’s ability to collaborate globally with private sector partners to dismantle international fraud networks at their source. The focus is on a more precise and targeted approach to combatting large-scale online fraud.