The mastermind behind the notorious cybercrime group Scattered Spider has been apprehended after orchestrating devastating attacks on major US corporations such as MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, causing widespread chaos. Despite enjoying a lavish lifestyle in Spain for several weeks, his reign of terror has come to an abrupt end.
The 22-year-old British hacker is now under the custody of Spanish authorities, following his arrest at Palma Airport in Palma de Mallorca as he attempted to flee to Italy. Reports from Murcia News indicate that he had arrived in Barcelona at the end of May.
Upon his arrest, the cybercriminal was found in possession of a laptop, a mobile phone, and control over a staggering $27 million Bitcoin fortune, according to Spanish police.
He stands accused of over 45 cyberattacks against American companies, with an FBI arrest warrant issued in Los Angeles.
Successful Global Cybercrime Arrests Continue
Recent weeks have seen a crackdown on cybercriminals by international law enforcement agencies.
Europol’s Operation Endgame, launched on June 3, has led to the addition of five Russian nationals to Europe’s most wanted list. Subsequently, Operation Endgame resulted in the arrest of developers behind LockBit and Conti Ransomware in Ukraine on June 12.
While these arrests send a strong message about the prioritization of combating cybercrime, criminal groups are resilient and continue to evolve.
Notably, Mandiant researchers have observed Scattered Spider diversifying its operations to target software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications for ransomware attacks.
