A large-scale cybercrime bust is underway in Montreal and across Quebec, as police forces, including the RCMP, target LabHost—one of the world’s largest phishing-as-a-service platforms. Authorities say the operation, part of Project NOVA, aims to dismantle a network responsible for scamming one million Canadians, including 292,000 victims in Quebec alone.
LabHost enabled cybercriminals to mimic websites of banks and government agencies, stealing sensitive data like banking credentials for a monthly cryptocurrency fee. The Sûreté du Québec reports that over 2,600 users of LabHost have been identified, two-thirds of whom are based in Quebec.
Since Monday, over 10 search warrants have been executed and 118 enforcement actions taken, with police seizing:
Nearly 200 mobile phones, 115 bank cards, 260 SIM cards, 60 prepaid cards, 15 computers, and 60 templates for counterfeit IDs.
Also recovered were luxury goods worth $150,000, $345,000 in Canadian currency, $190,000 in fake U.S. bills, and $17,000 in crypto wallets.
The RCMP emphasized the platform’s extensive impersonation of more than 75 Canadian organizations. LabHost’s shutdown marks a major milestone as the first NC3 operation of its kind in Canada.
Canadians affected are urged to contact local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Source: Swifteradio.com
