UK Charges Four in ‘Scattered Spider’ Ransom Group

Authorities in the United Kingdom this week arrested four alleged members of “Scattered Spider,” a prolific data theft and extortion group whose recent victims include multiple airlines and the U.K. retail chain Marks & Spencer.

Scattered Spider is the name given to an English-speaking cybercrime group known for using social engineering tactics to break into companies and steal data for ransom, often impersonating employees or contractors to deceive IT help desks into granting access. The FBI warned last month that Scattered Spider had recently shifted to targeting companies in the retail and airline sectors.

The U.K.’s National Crime Agency (NCA) declined verify the names of those arrested, saying only that they included two males aged 19, another aged 17, and 20-year-old female. The NCA said the defendants were charged in cyberattacks against Marks & Spencer, the U.K. retailer Harrods, and the British food retailer Co-op Group ...