In the US, 20-year-old Noah Michael Urban, a member of the Scattered Spider group, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and $ 13 million in compensation to victims for a series of SIM-swapping attacks and cryptocurrency theft.
Urban, known by the aliases Sosa, Elijah, King Bob, Gustavo Fring and Anthony Ramirez, was arrested in Florida in January 2024. According to the prosecutor’s office, from August 2022 to March 2023, he and his accomplices carried out SIM-swapping attacks, gaining access to victims’ crypto wallets and stealing at least $ 800 thousand.
After the arrest, he and four other members of Scattered Spider were charged with hacking corporate networks, data theft and multi-million dollar cryptocurrency theft. In April 2025, he pleaded guilty to wire fraud and identity theft.
Scattered Spider is known as part of the English-language cybercrime community The Com, which specializes in social engineering, credential theft, SIM-swapping, and corporate blackmail. The group has close ties to the ShinyHunters and LAPSUS groups, teaming up to increase the effectiveness of attacks. Their methods include vishing, smishing, MFA-fatigue attacks, and public pressure through leak timers and threats.
ZeroFox and Flashpoint note that Scattered Spider’s tactics are aimed primarily at people, rather than technical vulnerabilities, which makes them particularly dangerous for businesses.
Urban’s sentence shows an increase in the fight against SIM-swapping and social engineering, which remain key tools for cybercriminals. Despite the arrests, Scattered Spider continues to pose a serious threat due to alliances with other hacking groups.
