Toronto Police Bust Vehicle-Mounted SMS Blaster Phishing Operation
Toronto Police arrested three men and laid 44 charges over an alleged SMS blaster operation in the Greater Toronto Area that used rogue cellular base stations mounted in vehicles to impersonate legitimate towers and push phishing texts to nearby phones. Investigators said the campaign, dubbed Project Lighthouse, began drawing scrutiny after suspicious activity was reported in downtown Toronto in November 2025, with searches in Markham and Hamilton later leading to the seizure of multiple custom-built blasters and other electronic devices; two suspects were arrested during the searches and a third later surrendered.
Authorities said the devices forced tens of thousands of phones to connect automatically, enabling spoofed messages that appeared to come from banks, government agencies, and other trusted organizations and directing victims to fraudulent sites designed to steal credentials, passwords, and banking information. Police estimate the scheme caused roughly 13 million network disruptions or instances of mobile network entrapment, temporarily knocking affected devices off legitimate service and potentially blocking access to 911, and described the case as the first known detection of this type of threat in Canada while warning that conventional smishing remains an ongoing risk.
Timeline
Apr 26, 2026
Toronto Police announce three arrests and 44 charges in SMS blaster case
Canadian authorities publicly disclosed that three men had been arrested and charged in what police described as Canada's first known SMS blaster case. Officials said the immediate threat from the seized devices had ended and warned the public about ongoing smishing risks through conventional channels.
Apr 21, 2026
Third suspect surrenders to Toronto Police
A third suspect turned himself in to authorities after the March raids. Police said the surrender occurred on April 21.
Mar 31, 2026
Police raid Markham and Hamilton locations and seize SMS blasters
On March 31, investigators executed searches in Markham and Hamilton, seizing multiple SMS blaster devices and other electronic equipment. Two suspects were arrested during the operation.
Nov 1, 2025
SMS blaster campaign disrupts networks and targets GTA mobile users
Over several months, operators allegedly drove vehicles equipped with rogue cellular base stations through the Greater Toronto Area, sending phishing texts that impersonated trusted organizations. Police said the operation affected tens of thousands of devices and caused roughly 13 million network disruptions, at times interfering with legitimate service and possible access to 911.
Nov 1, 2025
Project Lighthouse investigation begins after downtown Toronto reports
Toronto Police began investigating suspected SMS blaster activity in downtown Toronto after reports from a cybersecurity partner and other suspicious-activity alerts. Authorities later named the probe Project Lighthouse.
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