A teenager whose identity has not been revealed was arrested in Las Vegas last week after turning himself in to the police at the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center. The minor faces multiple charges, including extortion and conspiracy to commit extortion, as well as the illegal acquisition and use of personal information to cause harm or impersonate another person.
If it hadn’t been delivered, I could have kept doing it
His arrest is related to a series of cyberattacks on major casinos in the city, specifically MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment. These attacks, which began between August and October 2023, have been attributed to a group known as Scattered Spider, a collective of young cybercriminals that has carried out at least 120 attacks since 2022. Economic losses from the cyberattacks on MGM are estimated to reach 100 million dollars in revenue, in addition to 10 million in recovery-related expenses, while Caesars admitted to having paid 15 million dollars in a ransom.
Three days before the teenager’s delivery, two other young people, Thalha Jubair and Owen Flowers, were arrested in the United Kingdom for their alleged involvement in the same attacks. According to authorities, Scattered Spider has used social engineering and phishing techniques to infiltrate critical infrastructures, leading to a significant exodus of ransom payments from the affected organizations.
Researchers are still studying the young man’s specific role in these incidents, and several cybersecurity experts have indicated that he may have feared being identified due to other arrests. Currently, the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office is seeking to transfer the case to the criminal division, intending to try the minor as an adult due to the severity of the offenses.
