Five charged in the US for crypto hacking using the ‘Scattered Spider’ method
US authorities have charged five individuals with hacking into multiple companies and stealing $11 million (approximately Rs. 92.8 crore) using the Scattered Spider technique. The stolen money was in cryptocurrency, known for its speed and relative anonymity in transactions. The suspects – Ahmed Hossam Eldin Elbadawy, Noah Michael Urban, Evans Onyeaka Osiebo, Tyler Robert Buchanan and Joel Martin Evans – are now facing charges and further investigations are underway to assess the case.
An official announcement shared by the US Attorney’s Office stated that the individuals allegedly targeted company employees with malicious text messages. The goal was to phish victims for money and sensitive information.
“The defendants then used collected employee credentials to log in and steal non-public company data and information and to hack into virtual currency accounts to steal millions of dollars in cryptocurrency,” the spokesperson said. announcement said.
According to MuntTelegraafAt least 29 victims who fell prey to the hackers have spoken to law enforcement. Claims by the plaintiffs show that one victim lost more than $6.3 million (approximately Rs. 53.2 lakh) in crypto assets. This particular victim’s email and digital wallet were breached by the hacker.
“According to court documents, from at least September 2021 through April 2023, the defendants conducted phishing attacks by sending mass text messages (short messages) to the cellphones of numerous victims’ employees – messages that purportedly came from the victim company. or a contracted provider of information technology or business services of the victim company,” the document said.
The note stated that each defendant could face 20 years in prison if convicted. The FBI has been ordered to conduct further investigations.
Phishing and hacking incidents have increased both in the US and globally. US authorities have urged the crypto community to exercise caution and avoid interacting with unexpected or suspicious emails from unknown sources.
According to an FBI report released in September, crypto-related fraud grew 45 percent in 2023, leading to losses worth more than $5.6 billion (approximately Rs. 47,029 crore).
