Tyler Buchanan, a 23-year-old identified as the alleged ringleader of the hacking group known as Scattered Spider, recently became embroiled in a violent incident that has drawn significant attention. Reports indicate that Buchanan fled his home in Dundee, Scotland, after masked intruders stormed into the residence, brandishing lit blowtorches and demanding access to his cryptocurrency accounts. This incident reportedly occurred in February 2023, when a group of four or five males confronted him at his mother’s home, with threats of severe harm if he failed to comply.
Witnesses in the area have stated they have not seen Buchanan since the raid, which served as a wake-up call within the cybercrime community. Following the incident, it is believed that rival hackers orchestrated the home invasion to extract passwords from him, with some accounts on the messaging platform Telegram alleging that his mother was assaulted during the confrontation.
Buchanan's notoriety stems from his suspected involvement with the cyber group Scattered Spider, which has been linked to a cyber attack on Marks & Spencer (M&S) over the Easter weekend, causing a significant decrease in the retailer's market value and resulting in the suspension of online sales for more than a week. The FBI has asserted that Scattered Spider's activities have attributed to substantial financial losses for M&S, among other corporations.
The aftermath of the home invasion was swift, with Buchanan evading capture until his arrest in Spain last summer. He had travelled from London to Barcelona and Palma, Mallorca, and was apprehended while attempting to board a flight to Naples. Authorities discovered that he was in control of a cryptocurrency wallet valued at over $26 million (£20 million) in Bitcoin at the time of his arrest.
Buchanan was extradited to the United States, where he faces serious charges, including wire fraud and identity theft. At a court appearance in California at the end of March, he was deemed a flight risk and subsequently denied bail. Although legal experts note he could not have been directly responsible for the execution of the M&S cyber attack while awaiting extradition, prosecutors maintain he played a significant role in the broader operations of Scattered Spider.
Scattered Spider’s membership reportedly includes approximately 1,000 young individuals across the UK and the US, with their criminal undertakings linked to attacks on various corporations. Experts suggest that while Scattered Spider was not mentioned directly in the recent claims made by a group named DragonForce—who asserted responsibility for the M&S and other high-profile attacks—it remains plausible that both groups operated in conjunction to coerce the retailers.
As investigations continue, a total of six individuals have reportedly been arrested in connection with Scattered Spider's activities in the past year, with five of them now facing charges. The authorities have linked these individuals to numerous attacks across the US, Canada, the UK, and India throughout 2022, raising concerns about the ongoing threat posed by this cybercriminal network.
Source: Noah Wire Services