Two Teen Spider Hackers Linked to August 2024 TfL Cyber Attack Arrested in the U.K.
“2 teenage spider hackers that were linked to the August 2024 TFL Cyber Attack Arrested in the U.K.”
Two teenage members of the Scattered Spider hacking gang have been taken into custody by U.K. law enforcement in relation to their suspected involvement in a cyberattack against Transport for London (TfL), the city’s public transportation system, in August 2024.
National Crime Agency (NCA)
| The National Crime Agency (NCA) reported that Owen Flowers, 18, of Walsall, West Midlands, and Thalha Jubair, 19, of East London (also known as EarthtoStar, Brad, Austin, and @autistic), were taken into custody at their residences on Tuesday. Their respective ages are 19 and 18.
Flowers has been charged with collaborating with others to penetrate and harm the networks of SSM Health Care Corporation and Sutter Health, the government said, adding that it discovered evidence of Flowers targeting U.S. healthcare companies. |
It’s important to remember that Flowers was released on bail after being first detained for allegedly participating in the September 2024 TfL assault.
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000 has also been used against Jubair for his failure to turn over PINs and passwords for devices that were taken from him by police on March 19, 2025.
Paul Foster, Deputy Director, Head, NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit
| “TfL, a vital component of the UK’s national infrastructure, suffered millions in losses and major disruption as a result of this attack.”
“The NCA issued a warning earlier this year about the growing threat posed by cybercriminals based in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking nations, of which Scattered Spider is a prime example.” |
Simultaneously, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) released a lawsuit accusing Jubair of conspiring to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and computer fraud in connection with at least 120 intrusions into computer networks and the extortion of 47 U.S. organizations between May 2022 and September 2025.
In these assaults, social engineering tactics were used to obtain illegal access to the target networks. Then, the information was stolen and encrypted, and victims were demanded to pay a ransom to restore control and stop the exfiltrated data from leaking.
The complaint claims that victims paid ransom payments totaling at least $115,000,000. The DoJ further stated that during October 2024 and January 2025, the incidents significantly disrupted U.S. businesses and organizations, including the federal court system and vital infrastructure.
Department of Justice (DoJ), U.S.
| According to the DoJ, in July 2024, law enforcement confiscated digital assets valued at around $36 million, including bitcoin wallets on a server purportedly under Jubair’s control.
Additionally, it is alleged that Jubair moved some of the $8.4 million in earnings that came from one of the victims to another wallet. |
Jubair faces charges of conspiracy to commit computer fraud, conspiracy to commit two counts of computer fraud, conspiracy to commit two counts of wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He could spend up to 95 years in prison if found guilty.
Alina Habba, U.S. Attorney, Special Attorney, District, New Jersey
| As he and his criminal partners persisted in attacking these victims and demanding tens of millions of dollars in ransom payments, “Jubair went to tremendous and sophisticated pains to keep himself nameless.” |
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