37 Suspects Operating Fraud Website 'LabHost' Arrested After Scamming Thousands of Victims

By Thea Felicity

Apr 18 2024, 12:54 PM EDT

FRANCE-BRITAIN-BREXIT-EUROTUNNEL-CUSTOMS — Migrants enter a police van following their arrest, on March 28, 2019 at the Coquelles Eurotunnel border post, a new border inspection post for customs and sanitary control built in anticipation of a no-deal brexit. - Under EU rules, animals, fresh food and agri-feed from Britain will be classified as being from a third country post Brexit, with checks for disease, traceability, rules of origin and welfare mandatory on the French side. PHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP via Getty Images

International law enforcement agencies have successfully shut down a massive fraudulent website, LabHost, which duped thousands of victims worldwide, according to Britain's Metropolitan Police.

LabHost, utilized by 2,000 criminals, was uncovered as a platform for stealing personal details from unsuspecting users. Nearly 70,000 UK victims fell prey to this scheme, leading to the arrest of 37 suspects, as reported by CNBC.

In a coordinated effort, police disrupted LabHost's operations and replaced its web pages with a message signaling law enforcement's intervention.

How LabHost Scammed Thousands of Victims

LabHost, established in 2021, was part of a criminal network that aimed to defraud individuals by creating fake websites impersonating trusted brands like banks and healthcare providers.

The cybercriminals behind LabHost obtained sensitive data, including 480,000 credit card numbers, 64,000 PIN codes, and over 1 million passwords. Authorities have notified approximately 25,000 UK victims of the breach.

Dame Lynne Owens of the Metropolitan Police emphasized the collaboration between law enforcement and private sector entities like Chainalysis, Intel 471, Microsoft, The Shadowserver Foundation, and Trend Micro, contributing to LabHost's takedown.

"They believe they can hide behind digital identities and platforms such as LabHost and have absolute confidence these sites are impenetrable by policing."

The investigation began in June 2022, spurred by intelligence shared by the Cyber Defence Alliance. This joint effort involved various agencies such as the National Crime Agency, City of London Police, Europol, and regional UK authorities.