Scattered Spider Hacker Extradited to US | KrebsOnSecurity
- Tyler Robert Buchanan, 23, of Scotland, was extradited from Spain to the United States last week to face charges related to his alleged involvement with the Scattered spider...
- Prosecutors claim Buchanan and others hacked into numerous companies, both in the U.S.
- Scattered Spider has been linked to breaches at major technology firms.
Tyler buchanan,allegedly linked to the notorious Scattered Spider hacking group,now faces U.S.charges following extradition from Spain.Prosecutors accuse the 23-year-old of wire fraud, conspiracy, and identity theft, claiming he controlled over $26 million stolen from victims. The charges stem from SMS phishing attacks in 2022 targeting firms like Twilio and LastPass. Buchanan fled the UK after a home attack, but was later arrested while trying to fly to Italy. Scattered Spider’s activity has also been connected to high-profile attacks, including the MGM and Caesar’s ransomware incidents, though the justice Department’s complaint focuses on SIM swapping and phishing operations. Read more in News Directory 3. Discover what’s next in this developing cybercrime saga.
Alleged scattered Spider Hacker Extradited to U.S.
Tyler Robert Buchanan, 23, of Scotland, was extradited from Spain to the United States last week to face charges related to his alleged involvement with the Scattered spider cybercrime group. Buchanan is accused of wire fraud, conspiracy, and identity theft.
Prosecutors claim Buchanan and others hacked into numerous companies, both in the U.S. and internationally. Buchanan is alleged to have controlled more than $26 million obtained illegally.
Scattered Spider has been linked to breaches at major technology firms. Buchanan’s arrest in Spain followed an FBI warrant related to SMS phishing attacks in 2022.These attacks targeted companies including Twilio, LastPass, and Mailchimp.
Buchanan reportedly fled the United Kingdom in Febuary 2023 after an attack at his home. He was arrested in june 2024 at the Palma de Mallorca airport while attempting to board a flight to Italy,according to Bloomberg.
Scattered Spider has also been connected to the 2023 ransomware attacks on MGM and Caesars casinos in Las Vegas. Though,the Justice Department’s complaint against Buchanan does not mention these attacks.
the investigation focuses on the 2022 SMS phishing campaigns and SIM-swapping attacks targeting cryptocurrency investors.SIM swapping involves transferring a victim’s phone number to an attacker’s device to intercept SMS-based authentication codes.
The FBI complaint states that Buchanan was linked to the 2022 SMS phishing attacks through a shared username and email address used to register Okta-themed phishing domains. Investigators traced the account activity to an address in the U.K. leased to Buchanan.
Authorities seized digital devices from buchanan’s residence, finding usernames and passwords for employees of companies targeted in the phishing campaign.
the FBI alleges that Buchanan and his co-conspirators targeted at least 45 companies in multiple countries. Telegram messages discussing the division of SIM swapping proceeds were also discovered on one of Buchanan’s devices.
Prosecutors say a Discord account linked to Buchanan’s U.K. Internet address specified a cryptocurrency wallet. Transaction records show approximately 391 bitcoin, currently worth over $26 million, was transferred in and out of this address between October 2022 and February 2023.
In November 2024, federal prosecutors unsealed charges against Buchanan and four others: Ahmed Elbadawy, 23, of College Station, Texas; Joel Evans, 25, of Jacksonville, North Carolina; Evans Osiebo, 20, of Dallas; and Noah Urban, 20, of Palm Coast, Florida.
Buchanan’s court-appointed attorney has not commented.He faces charges including wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to obtain facts by computer for financial gain, and aggravated identity theft, which carries a minimum two-year prison sentence.
Court documents indicate Buchanan is being held without bail pending trial. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 6.
What’s next
The case against buchanan is ongoing, and further details are expected to emerge during the trial. The investigation into Scattered Spider’s activities continues, with potential for additional arrests and charges.