A Decade Behind Bars for Key “Scattered Spider” Member

Noah Michael Urban,20,of Palm ⁤Coast,Florida,was sentenced⁤ to 10 years in federal prison ⁤today for his role in the prolific cybercrime group known as “Scattered Spider.” In addition to the prison term, Urban was ordered to pay approximately $13 million in restitution to the victims of his crimes,⁤ as reported by News4Jax.com.

The Breadth of the Scheme: SIM Swapping and Phishing

Urban⁤ pleaded guilty in April 2025 to charges of wire fraud and conspiracy.‍ Prosecutors detailed how Urban conspired ⁣with others to⁣ steal at least $800,000 from five victims through SIM-swapping attacks. This technique involves hijacking a victim’s phone number to intercept sensitive facts like text messages ⁣and calls. Scattered Spider, also ⁣known as “Oktapus,” “Scatter Swine,” and ⁣”UNC3944,” specialized in SMS and voice phishing ‍attacks, tricking employees into revealing credentials and one-time passcodes on fraudulent ‍websites.

The group’s reach was extensive, gaining access ⁣to over 130 companies including major players⁤ like Twilio, LastPass, Doordash,⁣ MailChimp, and⁣ Plex. ‍ This access was then exploited to steal proprietary data, customer information, and millions of dollars in cryptocurrency.

From “King Bob” to‍ federal Prison: A Digital Footprint

For years, Urban operated under the online aliases “King Bob” and “Sosa” within “the Com,” a largely telegram and Discord-based community where cybercriminals boast about their ⁢exploits. According to reports, “King Bob” frequently bragged about stealing unreleased music recordings ‍from artists, likely through SIM-swapping.He would then sell or distribute these stolen tracks on various online forums.

urban’s involvement⁢ extended to another notorious ‍group, “Star Fraud,” known for its involvement in high-profile attacks against Caesars ⁤Entertainment and MGM Resorts in 2023. ⁤Star Fraud gained access to mobile provider systems to redirect phone numbers, and reportedly compromised T-Mobile on over⁢ 100 occasions ⁢in a seven-month period during ‍2022, as detailed in KrebsOnSecurity reporting.

A Judge Hacked? A Twist in the Case

In a stunning turn of events, it was revealed that the judge presiding over Urban’s⁣ case was also targeted by⁢ members of Scattered Spider. A court‍ transcript shows that‍ a co-defendant in the California case managed to hack into the magistrate judge’s email account and steal a copy of Urban’s sealed indictment. the judge acknowledged the breach, stating that a contractor was tricked into providing ⁤a password change, granting access to the court’s system.

despite this incident, the judge ultimately handed down a sentence of 120 months, exceeding the prosecution’s recommendation of eight years. Urban, communicating from jail via twitter/X, expressed his belief that his age was ‍unfairly discounted and that‍ the judge’s‍ impartiality was compromised.