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Hacker from Scattered Spider group admits guilt in $8 million cryptocurrency theft., 2026/04/20 17:44:34
A 24-year-old member of the hacking group Scattered Spider, Tyler Robert Buchanan, has admitted guilt in the breach of computer systems belonging to at least ten companies through phishing attacks and the theft of $8 million.
The young man acknowledged his involvement in conspiracy to commit fraud and the theft of personal data under aggravating circumstances. According to the plea agreement, from September 2021 to April 2023, Buchanan, along with accomplices, targeted companies in the entertainment, telecommunications, information technology, outsourcing, and virtual currency sectors, as well as attacking cloud service providers and individuals across the United States.
Buchanan engaged in phishing by sending SMS messages to the mobile phones of employees at the affected companies, as stated by the Central District of California prosecutor’s office. The messages contained links to phishing websites that appeared to be legitimate employer pages. By clicking on the link, recipients inadvertently provided the attackers with confidential information and personal data, including usernames and passwords. Utilizing the stolen credentials, the hackers gained access to the companies’ computer systems and their intellectual property.
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Buchanan admitted that he, along with his co-conspirators, used the stolen information to identify and access cryptocurrency wallets, thereby stealing crypto assets valued at no less than $8 million.
The individual was apprehended in June 2024 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. In April 2025, he was transferred to a federal prison in the United States. A court hearing is scheduled for August 21, 2026. The defendant faces a potential sentence of 22 years in prison.
One of the accomplices, 21-year-old Noah Michael Urban, known as Sosa and Elijah, is already serving a ten-year sentence in a U.S. prison. In April 2025, he pleaded guilty to fraud. In addition to his prison term, he is required to pay $13 million in restitution.
Last year, 22-year-old Evan Tangeman from California admitted guilt in money laundering for the group of criminals who stole 4,100 bitcoins using social engineering techniques.
