Police take down $249-a-month global phishing service used by 2,000 hackers

Law enforcement agencies across 19 countries, coordinated by the UK’s Metropolitan Police and supported by Europol, have successfully dismantled a global phishing service known as LabHost. Established in 2021, LabHost facilitated cybercrime by offering phishing kits for a $249 monthly subscription, enabling hackers to create fraudulent websites to steal sensitive information such as email addresses, passwords, and banking details. The service attracted around 2,000 users and generated just under £1 million in revenue. Authorities arrested 37 suspects and conducted over 70 searches worldwide, seizing data including 480,000 bank card numbers and over 1 million passwords. Four individuals closely linked to LabHost’s operation, including its developer, were also arrested. The crackdown revealed about 40,000 phishing domains managed through LabHost, highlighting its extensive reach and the sophisticated tools it offered to cybercriminals, such as the LabRat campaign management tool designed to circumvent advanced security measures like two-factor authentication.

Source: NPR