Toronto police have arrested three suspects as part of an investigation into an alleged cybercrime group over its use of a mobile “SMS blaster.”

According to the Toronto Police Service, the investigation, dubbed Project Lighthouse, is a first-of-its-kind investigation. The police said it's the first such instance that an SMS blaster has been detected in Canada.

An SMS blaster is a device that mimics a legitimate cellular tower, and once activated, it causes nearby mobile phones to connect to it instead of a real network. It's from here that the device will send fraudulent text messages that appear to come from trusted organizations, such as banks or service providers.

Quite often, these messages contain links directing users to fake websites designed to steal personal, financial, or login information — a tactic commonly known as “smishing.”

“This is a new and emerging threat in Canada — one that uses advanced technology to reach thousands of people at once and exploit their trust,” said Deputy Chief Robert Johnson.

“As the first investigation of its kind in this country, it reflects how the Toronto Police Service is adapting quickly to detect and disrupt complex cyber-enabled crime. I’m proud of the work done by our Coordinated Cyber Centre and grateful to our policing and industry partners who helped bring this investigation forward.”

The investigation was carried out in partnership with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s National Cybercrime Coordination Centre (NC3) and Federal Policing - Central Region, York Regional Police, Hamilton Police Service, major financial institutions, and telecommunications partners.

Following a tip-off from a cybersecurity partner, law enforcement was made aware of a mobile SMS blaster operating in downtown Toronto. This device was later detected moving throughout various locations across the Greater Toronto Area over several months.

Tens of thousands of mobile devices connected to the blaster during this period, noted investigators, while more than 13 million network disruptions were recorded. Such disruptions could temporarily prevent affected devices from connecting to legitimate cellular networks, including limiting access to emergency services such as 911.

Following an investigation, on March 31, law enforcement executed Criminal Code search warrants at residences in Markham and Hamilton, arresting two men. Officers also seized a significant quantity of electronic evidence, including several mobile SMS blasters.

Earlier this week (April 21), a third man turned himself in to police.

Dafeng Lin, 27, of Hamilton, and Junmin Shi, 25, of Markham, were arrested on March 31, 2026. Both face several charges, some of which include three counts each of mischief, mischief endangering life, false information, possession of property obtained by crime, possession of instruments to be used to commit forgery, plus more charges as detailed on the Toronto Police's website.

Weitong Hu, 21, of Markham, was arrested and charged on April 21, 2026, and faces seven charges, which include conspiracy to commit an indictable offense, tracking identity information, intercepting private communication, possessing an identity document, possession of instruments to be used to commit forgery, unauthorized possession of credit card data, and personation with intent to gain advantage.

It's not the first time fraudsters have used SMS blasters to create dummy antennas to scam unsuspecting victims in Greece.

In January, Greek police arrested two people over an alleged scam that saw the suspects drive around with a makeshift cell tower in the trunk of their car. A similar case occurred in the UK in 2024, which led to the arrest of two men.