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FROM/DE : Southern Georgian Bay OPP Detachment DATE: April 18, 2025

PROJECT NOVA: CANADIAN LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTINUES DISRUPTION OF CRIMINAL LABHOST USERS

Investigations Are Still Ongoing

(MIDLAND,ON)- Members of the Financial Crime Services of the OPP Anti-Rackets Branch and the Southern Georgian Bay Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) along with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) are continuing to raise the awareness for North Simcoe residents of the various scams that they may encounter on the telephone or online.

April 16, 2025 - Ottawa, Ontario

From: RCMP National Headquarters

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)'s National Cybercrime Coordination Centre (NC3), the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) and the Sureté du Québec (SQ) are announcing enforcement actions against Canadian users of LabHost, a platform used to launch widespread phishing and cyber scams in Canada and around the world.

Since April 14, 2025, police forces from across the country executed 10 search warrants against identified users of the platform, and are conducting more than 118 enforcement actions against suspected offenders, which include fines, warning letters and in-person engagements. This operation, known as Project NOVA, is part of an international collaboration that brought together more than 30 domestic and international partners to disrupt criminal activity linked to LabHost.

The evidence collected to date suggests close to one million Canadians were directly impacted by LabHost. An extensive amount of personal information, including sensitive banking credentials, was stolen and trafficked by criminal users of the platform.

Prior to being disabled by law enforcement, LabHost was one of the world's largest phishing-as-a-service providers, offering a range of illicit services for a monthly fee payable only by cryptocurrency. Cybercriminals impersonated more than 75 Canadian organizations - including major banks and government institutions - to defraud Canadians into giving up personal information and banking credentials.

While Project NOVA is a continuation of an international operation that effectively shut down LabHost's infrastructure in April 2024, it marks the first action led by the RCMP's NC3 against LabHost users here in Canada. Over the course the operation, the NC3 worked closely with organizations that were impersonated to trace the impact of phishing attacks and gather critical evidence.

If you are a victim, contact your local police immediately and report the incident to the CAFC using their Online Reporting System or by phone at 1-888-495-8501.

Investigations are still ongoing.

Full news release: Project NOVA: Canadian law enforcement continues disruption of criminal LabHost users | Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Special thank you to the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre Team for providing this informative article to help keep our community members up to date and aware on these types of ongoing investigations.

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Media Officer

Provincial Constable David Hobson

///relations.fatigue.appraise

T-705-733-5440 E- david.hobson@opp.ca

Social Media OPP Central Region Twitter / OPP Central Region Facebook / OPP Central Region Instagram

Learn more about the CAMSafe program and to register security cameras please visit https://camsafe.ca/

"be on the lookout" for the wanted fugitives visit boloprogram.org

Break and Enter Investigation Downtown Leads OPP to Arrest

Officers from the Southern Georgian Bay Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to a call at approximately 8:43 a.m. April 7, 2025, of a possible break and enter to a uninhabited apartment on Dominion Avenue, Midland.

Upon arrival of the officer, it was learned that the suspect, who was known to the officer had fled on foot in the area and was observed shortly afterwards in the downtown core causing a disturbance and was arrested and taken into custody.

Charged is a 44-year old male of no fixed address Midland with the following criminal offences.

Unlawfully in Dwelling House
Resist Peace Officer
Causing a Disturbance
Fail to Comply with Probation Order
The accused was held for bail court and will appear before the Ontario Court of Justice Court at a future date.

Good day,



The CAFC is pleased to share a podcast we contributed to: Aging Vibrantly: Conversations to Empower Seniors, created by Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario (EAPON).



In this episode, Putting a Stop to Frauds and Scams Targeting Seniors, they discuss how fraud impacts seniors and ways to stay protected.



You can listen to the episode on:



YouTube: Watch here
Spotify: Listen here
Apple Podcasts: Listen here

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Bonjour,



Le CAFC est heureux de partager un podcast auquel nous avons contribué : Aging Vibrantly: Conversations to Empower Seniors (anglais seulement) créé par Prévention de la maltraitance des aînés Ontario (EAPON).



Dans cet épisode, Putting a Stop to Frauds and Scams Targeting Seniors (anglais seulement), ils abordent l'impact de la fraude sur les personnes âgées et les moyens de s'en protéger.



Écoutez l'épisode (disponible en anglais seulement) :



YouTube: Regarder ici
Spotify: Écouter ici
Apple Podcasts: Écouter ici

FROM: Southern Georgian Bay OPP Detachment DATE: April 2, 2025

NEW PODCAST EPISODE: CAFC AND EAPON ON PROTECTING SENIORS FROM FRAUD

(MIDLAND,ON)- Members of the Southern Georgian Bay Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) are continuing to raise the awareness for North Simcoe residents of the various scams that they may encounter on the telephone or online.

The CAFC is pleased to share a podcast we contributed to: Aging Vibrantly: Conversations to Empower Seniors, Podcast : Aging Vibrantly. Conversations to Empower Seniors - Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario created by Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario (EAPON) https://eapon.ca/ .

In this episode, Putting a Stop to Frauds and Scams Targeting Seniors, they discuss how fraud impacts seniors and ways to stay protected.

You can listen to the episode on:

YouTube: Watch here
Spotify: Listen here
Apple Podcasts: Listen here


Please share this podcast with your networks to help in the fight against fraud!

Anyone who suspects they have been the target of cybercrime or fraud should report it to their local police and to the CAFC's online or by phone at 1-888-495-8501.

CAFC Team

partners@antifraudcentre.ca

Fraud: Recognize. Reject. Report.

#kNOwFraud

Follow us on Twitter (@canantifraud) and Facebook (Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre)

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Media Officer

Provincial Constable David Hobson

///relations.fatigue.appraise

T-705-733-5440 E- david.hobson@opp.ca

Social Media OPP Central Region X / OPP Central Region Facebook / OPP Central Region Instagram

FROM: Financial Crime Services DATE: April 1, 2025

Anti-Rackets Branch

Cyber-Enabled Fraud Team

BE CAUTIOUS OF CRYPTOCURRENCY TRACING SERVICES

Cryptocurrency Recovery Scam

(ORILLIA, ON) - The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Cyber-Enabled Fraud Team (CEFT) is warning the public about the risks of engaging private cryptocurrency tracing companies to recover funds lost to cyber-enabled fraud due to the increase of recovery scams.

Some cryptocurrency tracing companies are not legitimate and target individuals who have already been victims of fraud, claiming they will be able to help get their money back. They may ask for payment for their services, resulting in further losses.

While some legitimate companies do provide cryptocurrency tracing services, it's important to understand their limitations. These companies lack the legal authority to freeze or seize funds. Reports generated by some of these companies may not be suitable in court or at trial. Victims may face high fees for reports that ultimately direct them to seek help from law enforcement. These reports can also include inaccuracies, errors, or oversimplifications.

It is recommended to always exercise caution and ensure thorough research before engaging in these services.

If you've been a victim of cyber-enabled fraud, your first step is to report it to your local police service. The police have access to reliable cryptocurrency tracing tools designed for investigative purposes. Police must rely on law enforcement generated reports for conducting investigations.

How to Protect Yourself

Beware of unexpected messages or calls. Individuals who commit fraud often reach out to victims who have publicly shared their cryptocurrency losses online or on social media platforms.
Be cautious of individuals who pressure you into acting quickly to recover lost cryptocurrency and who demand upfront fees.
Don't provide anyone with sensitive information such as your wallet's private key or seed phrase.
Be aware that some cryptocurrency tracing services appear as legitimate companies but provide false reports.

For more information on fraud prevention, visit opp.ca/fraud and sfo.opp.ca.

If you suspect fraudulent activity or have been a victim of fraud, report it immediately to your local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online via the Fraud Reporting System.

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Contact:

Detective Constable Lisa Cruz or

Detective Constable Erin Fraser

Serious Fraud Office (SFO)

SFOmedia@ontariosfo.ca

opp.ca

Facebook/Instagram: @ontarioprovincialpolice

X: OPP_News