Noah Michael Urban, a 19-year-old member of the cybercriminal group Scattered Spider, faces federal charges related to a cryptocurrency theft scam involving SIM-swapping. The elaborate scheme resulted in the theft of at least $800,000 from a minimum of five victims. Operating under aliases such as “Sosa,” “Elijah,” “Gustavo Fring,” and “King Bob,” Urban is accused of orchestrating SIM-swapping attacks against email and financial accounts between August 2022 and March 2023.
The charges against Urban include wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, potentially leading to an extended prison term. The cybercriminal group Scattered Spider, also known as 0ktapus, gained notoriety in 2022 for a campaign that compromised over 130 organizations, including Twilio and Mailchimp. Microsoft researchers identified Scattered Spider as an English-speaking affiliate of the Russian-speaking ransomware group BlackCat.
No fixed address was reported for Urban, who was found staying at an Airbnb under an alias. His arrest on January 9, with allegations of downloading programs to delete computer files, highlights the complexities of apprehending cybercriminals. The indictment centers on a conspiracy involving SIM swapping to intercept one-time passwords sent via SMS, revealing the group’s sophisticated tactics in stealing cryptocurrency.
