Federal authorities have charged five individuals for orchestrating a sophisticated phishing scheme that targeted company employees nationwide. The group allegedly stole sensitive company data and hacked cryptocurrency accounts, amassing millions in stolen funds.
The defendants are accused of sending deceptive phishing text messages to employees, posing as their company or a trusted IT provider. These messages claimed accounts were at risk of deactivation and directed recipients to fraudulent websites designed to capture login credentials.
The group allegedly accessed company systems using the stolen information, extracting intellectual property and personal data, and hacking cryptocurrency wallets.
The accused include:
Ahmed Hossam Eldin Elbadawy (23), also known as “AD,” from College Station, Texas.
Noah Michael Urban (20), alias “Sosa” and “Elijah,” from Palm Coast, Florida.
Evans Onyeaka Osiebo (20), from Dallas, Texas.
Joel Martin Evans (25), known as “joeleoli,” from Jacksonville, North Carolina.
Tyler Robert Buchanan (22), from the United Kingdom.
Evans was arrested by the FBI in North Carolina and appeared in court Tuesday. Urban, already facing fraud charges in Florida, has pleaded not guilty in a separate case.
“We allege that this group of cybercriminals perpetrated a sophisticated scheme to steal intellectual property and proprietary information worth tens of millions of dollars and steal personal information belonging to hundreds of thousands of individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada.
FBI Assistant Director Akil Davis added, “The defendants allegedly preyed on unsuspecting victims in this phishing scheme and used their personal information as a gateway to steal millions in their cryptocurrency accounts.”
If convicted, the defendants face severe penalties, including up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud charges. The FBI, alongside international law enforcement, continues to investigate this case.
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