Teen Arrested in Las Vegas Casino Cyberattacks, Group's Chief Member
A teenage boy has been arrested by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) in connection with a series of cyberattacks that targeted Sin City casinos in 2023. The attacks, attributed to an organized cyber threat-actor group known by several names, including 'Scattered Spider', 'Octo Tempest', 'UNC3944', and/or '0ktapus', caused significant financial losses to the city's gambling industry.
The FBI's Las Vegas Cyber Task Force identified the teenage boy as a suspect in the case. He was later arrested and booked on multiple charges, including three counts of obtaining and using personal identifying information of another person to harm or impersonate a person, as well as one count each of extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion, and unlawful acts regarding computers. The teenage boy turned himself in to the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center last week.
The cyber threat group involved in the attacks is a decentralized cybercriminal group, with the teenage suspect being one of its chief members. The group's attacks caused substantial damage to the city's casinos. MGM Resorts International lost an estimated $100 million, while Caesars Entertainment paid $15 million to the hackers after being targeted.
The LVMPD, in collaboration with the FBI, has successfully identified and arrested a suspect in the 2023 cyberattacks against Las Vegas casinos. The investigation is ongoing, and further details about the attacks and the suspect's involvement are expected to be revealed in the coming days.
