Scattered Spider Member Tylerb Pleads Guilty in U.S. Federal Court

A 24‑year‑old British national, identified as Tyler Robert Buchanan and known online as “Tylerb,” has entered a guilty plea in a U.S. federal court for conspiring with the cybercrime outfit Scattered Spider to execute wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Scattered Spider Guilty Plea Unveils Massive Crypto Scam

Buchanan admitted that in summer 2022 he helped launch thousands of SMS‑phishing attacks that breached firms such as Twilio, LastPass, DoorDash and Mailchimp, then leveraged stolen data for SIM‑swap schemes that siphoned ↓ $8 million in cryptocurrency from U.S. investors.

“I was the one who orchestrated the SMS phishing campaign,” Buchanan told the court.

The FBI linked the campaign to Buchanan by tracing the same username and email across dozens of malicious domains registered through NameCheap from a U.K. IP address, a lead corroborated by Scottish police.

Key Charges and Potential Sentence for Scattered Spider Operative

Charged with wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft, he now faces a statutory maximum of ↑ 22 years behind bars, though sentencing will weigh his age, lack of prior U.S. convictions and cooperation level.

He was apprehended by Spanish authorities in June 2024 while attempting to board a flight to Italy, extradited to the United States in April 2025, and remains in federal custody awaiting a hearing set for August 21, 2026.

His case follows the earlier conviction of fellow Scattered Spider member Noah Michael Urban, who received a ten‑year term and $13 million restitution, while three other alleged participants remain at large.

Investigators say the group operates within a broader online network dubbed “The Com,” where hackers publicly brag on Telegram and Discord about social‑engineering exploits.

For further context see Reuters and AP News.

Correction: The arrest date was June 2024, not May.

Dispatch from: Nova Stirling

Aerospace & Space Tech Correspondent