The Hacker Newsinfo@thehackernews.com (The Hacker News)
U.K. Arrests Two Teen Scattered Spider Hackers Linked to August 2024 TfL Cyber Attack
UK law enforcement has arrested two teen members of the Scattered Spider hacking group in connection with an August 2024 cyber attack on Transport for London (TfL), the National Crime Agency said. Thalha Jubair, 19, from East London, and Owen Flowers, 18, from Walsall, were detained at their home addresses on Tuesday; Flowers had been arrested previously in September 2024 and released on bail, with the NCA noting evidence linking him to targeting U.S. healthcare companies.
Jubair has also been charged under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 for failing to surrender PINs and passwords for devices seized on 19 March 2025. According to the DoJ, Jubair faces conspiracies to commit computer and wire fraud and money laundering, tied to at least 120 intrusions and extorting 47 U.S. entities from May 2022 to September 2025, with victims paying at least $115,000,000 in ransom.
The NCA described the TfL attack as causing significant disruption and millions in losses to the transport network, part of the UK’s critical national infrastructure. The DoJ also noted a separate complaint against Jubair in the United States, and the case highlights ongoing claims about the scale and sophistication of social engineering-based intrusions.