Scattered Spider Member Tyler Buchanan Pleads Guilty to Hacking and Cryptocurrency Theft
Summary
Tyler Buchanan pleaded guilty to conspiring with Scattered Spider members to hack companies and steal cryptocurrency. He admitted to SMS phishing, credential theft and SIM swapping; prosecutors say victims lost at least $8 million in cryptocurrency.
Key points
- Buchanan admitted to SMS phishing employees with messages linking to credential- and PII-harvesting sites.
- He and co-conspirators used stolen information to access employee accounts and company systems and steal sensitive information.
- A phishing kit sent captured credentials to a Telegram channel managed by Buchanan and a co-conspirator.
- The conspirators used SIM swapping to intercept authentication codes and access cryptocurrency accounts and wallets.
- Buchanan admitted that the group stole at least $8 million in cryptocurrency from victims in the US.
- Buchanan is scheduled for sentencing on August 21; co-conspirator Noah Michael Urban was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Article Details
- Event Type
- Guilty plea in a cybercrime case involving conspiracy to hack company networks and cryptocurrency theft.
- Impact
- Tyler Robert Buchanan admitted to SMS phishing, credential theft, and unauthorized access to company systems. He and his co-conspirators stole sensitive information and at least $8 million in cryptocurrency from victims in the United States.
MITRE ATT&CK
T1078 · Valid AccountsThe article says the conspirators used stolen employee information to access accounts and company systems.T1111 · Multi-Factor Authentication InterceptionThe conspirators used SIM swapping to intercept two-factor authentication codes and access victims’ accounts.T1566.002 · Spearphishing LinkBuchanan admitted to sending SMS messages with links to phishing sites designed to harvest employees’ credentials and personally identifiable information.
Threat Actors
Ahmed Hossam Eldin ElbadawyThe article reports that Elbadawy was charged in the case; it does not describe his specific alleged actions.Evans Onyeaka OsieboThe article reports that Osiebo was charged in the case; it does not describe his specific alleged actions.Joel Martin EvansThe article reports that Evans was charged in the case; it does not describe his specific alleged actions.Noah Michael UrbanThe article says Urban was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the Scattered Spider group.Scatter SwineThe article identifies Scatter Swine as another name for Scattered Spider, a group associated with cyber intrusions.Scattered SpiderThe article identifies Scattered Spider as a financially motivated hacking group involved in cyber intrusions and names it as also known as Muddled Libra, Scatter Swine, Starfraud, and UNC3944.StarfraudThe article identifies Starfraud as another name for Scattered Spider, a group associated with cyber intrusions.Tyler Robert BuchananBuchanan pleaded guilty and admitted to conducting SMS phishing, accessing accounts and company systems with stolen information, and participating in cryptocurrency theft.UNC3944The article identifies UNC3944 as another name for Scattered Spider, a group associated with cyber intrusions.
Products
Countries
ScotlandThe man, Tyler Robert Buchanan, 24, of Dundee, Scotland, was arrested in June 2024 in Spain and was charged in the US in November 2024 for his role in the financially motivated hacking group Scattered Spider.SpainThe man, Tyler Robert Buchanan, 24, of Dundee, Scotland, was arrested in June 2024 in Spain and was charged in the US in November 2024 for his role in the financially motivated hacking group Scattered Spider.United StatesThe man, Tyler Robert Buchanan, 24, of Dundee, Scotland, was arrested in June 2024 in Spain and was charged in the US in November 2024 for his role in the financially motivated hacking group Scattered Spider.