‘SMS blasters’ that mimic cell towers seized in Toronto cybercrime investigation
Police say the blaster reached tens of thousands of devices and caused more than 13 million network disruptions, prompting 44 charges.
- Toronto Police seized Canada's first mobile "SMS blasters" on Thursday, charging three men—Dafeng Lin, Junmin Shi, and Weitong Hu—with 44 offences including fraud and mischief following an investigation dubbed Project Lighthouse.
- A "cybersecurity partner" alerted law enforcement in November 2025 to a device operating in downtown Toronto that mimics cell towers, tricking nearby phones into connecting instead of legitimate networks.
- Police identified more than 13 million network disruptions where tens of thousands of devices connected to the blaster over several months, with disruptions potentially limiting access to 911 for seconds to several minutes.
- Detective Sergeant Lindsay Riddell said scam texts appear to originate from trusted organizations, directing users to fake websites designed to steal financial credentials and personal information; police are actively working to identify victims.
- Deputy Chief Robert Johnson called the case an emerging public safety threat, noting similar technology has appeared in Britain and New Zealand, and emphasizing that policing must continue evolving to counter increasingly advanced cyber-enabled crime.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Scam-Blasting ‘Cell Tower’ in a Backpack Catches Canada Off Guard
In November 2025, a cybersecurity partner quietly alerted Toronto police to an unusual occurrence on the streets of Canada’s largest city: a suspected rogue device operating in downtown Toronto, mimicking a legitimate cell tower and pushing fraudulent text messages to anyone nearby. By the time search warrants were executed in Markham and Hamilton last month, investigators had documented tens of thousands of mobile devices connecting to an SMS b…
Police arrest 3 people in cybercrime investigation, seize ‘SMS blasters’ used to defraud victims
Police say an SMS blaster mimics “a legitimate cellular tower” that sends fraudulent text messages to connected phones with links to websites designed to steal personal, financial or log-in information.
The Toronto police arrested three individuals following an investigation into false relay antennas, a first in Canada.
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