Canada Arrests Three Over SMS Blaster Operation in Toronto
Summary
Toronto Police arrested three men and seized SMS blaster devices used to send phishing texts from rogue cellular towers. Police estimated 13 million instances of network entrapment and warned that connected phones could lose access to emergency services.
Key points
- Toronto Police said Project Lighthouse began in November 2025 after tips about suspicious activity in downtown Toronto.
- Police said the operators used mobile SMS blasters that impersonated cellular towers and sent phishing texts to nearby phones without needing their phone numbers.
- Police estimated the operation caused 13 million instances of mobile network entrapment.
- Phones connected to rogue stations were temporarily disconnected from their legitimate networks and could not reach emergency services.
- Police searched locations in Markham and Hamilton on March 31, seized SMS blasters and other electronics, arrested two suspects, and said a third man turned himself in on April 21.
- Authorities recommend disabling 2G downgrades on Android where possible, avoiding links in SMS, and using end-to-end encrypted channels for sensitive communications.
Article Details
- Event Type
- Law enforcement arrested three men for allegedly operating an SMS blaster used to send phishing texts in Toronto.
- Impact
- Police estimated 13 million instances of mobile network entrapment. Phones connected to the rogue stations were temporarily disconnected from their legitimate networks and could not reach emergency services; the phishing texts directed recipients to fake websites designed to capture personal and banking credentials.