Toronto police say they have dismantled a sophisticated cybercrime operation that used a mobile “SMS blaster” to impersonate cell towers, disrupt networks and send fraudulent text messages to tens of thousands of people across the GTA.
Investigators unveiled the results of a months‑long probe, dubbed Project Lighthouse, on Thursday, which led to the arrests of three men and the seizure of multiple SMS‑blasting devices capable of forcing nearby phones to disconnect from legitimate networks and instead link to a fake tower.
Once connected, victims received text messages that appeared to come from trusted institutions, such as banks or service providers — a tactic known as smishing.
Detective Sergeant Lindsay Riddell said the investigation began in November 2025, when a cybersecurity partner detected a rogue mobile tower operating in downtown Toronto. Over the following months, the device moved throughout the GTA, connecting to tens of thousands of mobile phones and causing more than 13 million network disruptions — outages that, in some cases, temporarily limited access to 911 and other emergency services.
“You can receive fraudulent text messages. It could or could not be related to an SMS blaster,” said Riddell. “We’re pretty confident that we have dealt with all of them and there will be no further risk in the City of Toronto for this, but just for any fraudulent text messages, we just encourage that if you do get them, do not click on any links and especially when they’re asking for type of payment… especially parking fines.”
3 arrests made, SMS-blasting devices recovered, police say
Police executed search warrants on Tuesday, March 31, at homes in Markham and Hamilton, arresting two suspects and seizing several SMS‑blasting devices. A third suspect surrendered to police on Tuesday, April 21.
Dafeng Lin, 27, of Hamilton, was charged with multiple offences, including mischief, mischief endangering life, personation with intent to gain advantage, using a computer system to commit an offence, fraud under $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime, and possession of forgery instruments.
Junmin Shi, 25, of Markham, was charged with mischief to data, mischief endangering life, personation with intent to gain advantage, fraudulent interception of a computer function, using a computer system to commit an offence, providing false information, possession of property obtained by crime, and possession of forgery instruments.
Weitong Hu, 21, also of Markham, was charged with conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, intercepting private communication, trafficking identity information, possessing identity documents, possessing forgery instruments, unauthorized possession of credit‑card data, and personation with intent to gain advantage.
Deputy Chief Robert Johnson called the case a “new and emerging threat” and said the operation shows how quickly cybercriminals are evolving.
The arrests come as cybercrime continues to surge across Canada, with law enforcement agencies warning that criminals are increasingly using sophisticated tools to evade detection and exploit victims.
“If you have been a victim of a fraud where you’ve clicked a link through a text message, we do want you to report it to the police,” added Det. Sgt. Riddell.
Detective Sergeant Lindsay Riddell said the investigation began in November 2025, when a cybersecurity partner detected a rogue mobile tower operating in downtown Toronto. Photo: TPS/YouTube.
