iscover
Share this article on:
Powered by
MOMENTUM
MEDIA
A hacker believed to be the mastermind behind the Scattered Spider threat group has been arrested in Spain.
Scattered Spider is a cyber criminal group known for targeting large organisations, including MGM Resorts and Caesars Hotel, and is believed to have connections to the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware gang, with the two having used similar malware strains.
This week, a 22-year-old British man believed to be the kingpin of the hacking organisation was arrested at Palma Airport in Spain just as he was preparing to fly to Italy, according to Spanish newspaper Murcia Today.
According to a Spanish police announcement, Scattered Spider is “dedicated to the theft of information from companies and cryptocurrencies and managed to gain control of 391 bitcoins worth more than 27 million dollars”, and the leader was arrested as part of a joint operation between the Spanish National Police and the US FBI.
“The investigation – which has been carried out by the Central Cybercrime Unit with the collaboration of agents from the Balearic Superior Headquarters – began at the end of last May when the FBI Office in Los Angeles, through its liaison in Spain, requested information from the National Police about a citizen of British nationality who they suspected could be in our country. The 22-year-old suspect was allegedly responsible for numerous computer attacks on a multitude of companies in the United States,” said the police release.
“From this moment on, efforts were made to locate him, confirming that he had entered Spain at the end of May through Barcelona’s El Prat airport.”
The FBI reported that the man had an international arrest warrant issued against him by the Court of the Central District of California. This led to a crackdown on him and the subsequent arrest at Palma de Mallorca.
While the name of the arrested individual has not been released, the police revealed that at the time of his arrest, he was carrying a laptop and a mobile phone, both of which have been seized.
“In addition, the judicial authority decreed that he be placed in provisional prison,” the police said.
The arrest of the suspected Scattered Spider leader comes only months after another group member was arrested in Florida.
Noah Urban, 19, was arrested in January and charged with “one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, and five counts of aggravated identity theft”, according to the US Department of Justice (DOJ).
“If convicted, Urban faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each wire fraud charge.
“He also faces a minimum mandatory penalty of two years’ imprisonment for the aggravated identity offences, which will run consecutive to any other prison sentence imposed.”
Be the first to hear the latest developments in the cyber industry.
