A CYBER-CRIMINAL who led a website used by more than 2,000 scammers to dupe unsuspecting victims into sharing their personal details has been jailed.
Zak Coyne, 24, was the co-creator and global administrator for the LabHost platform.
Set up in 2021, the criminal cyber network created 'phishing' websites, designed to trick victims into revealing personal data such as email addresses, passwords and bank details.
Scammers paid a £250 per month membership fee for access to the site, which allowed them to choose from its existing fake pages to defraud their victims or request bespoke pages replicating trusted brands including banks, healthcare agencies and postal services be made for them.
The LabHost mobile homepageThe platform was brought down in April 2024 following an investigation by the Met’s Cyber Crime Unit with partners across the country, including the National Crime Agency and Microsoft.
Their findings revealed that since its establishment LabHost had stolen 429,114 credit card numbers, 887,609 unique passwords and 62,532 unique mother's maiden names.
Prior to the police raid last April, there were nearly 13,000 subscribers to the platform.
At a hearing at Manchester Crown Court on September 18, 2024, Coyne, a father-of-one, from Woodbine Road, Huddersfield, admitted his offences.
Zak Coyne was the co-creator and global administrator for the LabHost platformThese included making or supplying articles for use in frauds; encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence believing it would be committed; and transferring criminal property.
Yesterday (April 14, 2025) he was sentenced at the same court to eight and a half years behind bars.
Following the sentencing, Commander Stephen Clayman, Head of the Met Police Force’s Central Specialist Crime team, said: “The outcome of this case demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the Met in pursuing individuals like Coyne who mastermind a network of fraudulent activity, which ultimately brings misery to thousands of innocent people.
“This also demonstrates the commitment across law enforcement to identify and hold those to account who facilitate criminal enabling functions and think they can remain undetected. We will find you and take action.”
A message on the site confirms it has now been shut downHe added: “This has been monumental operation lead by the Met and I would like to thank all the partners - including the NCA, City of London Police and Cyber Defence Alliance - involved for their invaluable input and without whom, this would not have been a success.
“We will continue to work across law enforcement and key stakeholders, including international partners, to ensure that the Met contributes to the ongoing system response to cyber-related fraud."
Thomas Short, Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, added: “Zak Coyne operated a phishing service that provided fraudsters with the tools to impersonate trusted institutions and steal sensitive information from unsuspecting victims.
“This was a sophisticated worldwide criminal enterprise which enabled others to perpetrate fraud on a massive scale, resulting in losses totalling more than £100 million.
“Fraud is far from a victimless crime and the harm caused by Coyne’s offending are measured not just in monetary terms, but also in the distress inflicted on countless victims who fell prey to these scams.
“This was a complex case, but the prosecution team, together with law enforcement partners, was able to unravel an intricate web of digital evidence which linked Coyne to the offending and build a strong case against him, resulting in his guilty pleas.”
See More: Cyber-criminal, LabHost, Phishing, Zak Coyne
