Federal authorities have indicted four suspects and filed a criminal complaint against a fifth individual in connection with sophisticated cyber attacks targeting major companies and individuals.

The suspects, allegedly linked to the hacker group "Scattered Spider," are accused of stealing intellectual property and cryptocurrency worth millions through sophisticated phishing schemes.

The defendants are:

• Ahmed Hossam Eldin Elbadawy, 23, of Texas
• Noah Michael Urban, 20, of Florida
• Evans Onyeaka Osiebo, 20, of Texas
• Joel Martin Evans, 25, of North Carolina
• Tyler Robert Buchanan, 22, of the UK (criminal complaint)

Between September 2021 and April 2023, the group allegedly:

• Conducted sophisticated phishing attacks via SMS
• Targeted company employees with fake deactivation messages
• Stole confidential information and access credentials
• Compromised approximately a dozen entities
• Took $11M in cryptocurrency from 29 victims

While Scattered Spider was blamed for the 2023 attacks on MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, it remains unclear if these suspects were involved in those specific incidents. The MGM attack resulted in $100M in lost profits, while Caesars reportedly paid $15M in ransom.

If convicted, the defendants face:

• Up to 20 years for conspiracy to commit wire fraud
• Up to 5 years for conspiracy
• Mandatory 2-year sentence for aggravated identity theft
• Additional 20 years for wire fraud (Buchanan only)

The investigation revealed collaboration between Scattered Spider and the Black Cat/ALPHV ransomware group in some attacks, highlighting the sophisticated nature of their operations.

Related Articles

Previous Articles