Remington Ogletree, a 19-year-old from Texas and Florida, has been charged with carrying out phishing attacks on telecommunications companies and a financial institution as part of the hacking group Scattered Spider. The group gained international attention last year for their cyberattacks and social engineering attempts that breached various computer networks. According to the complaint, from October 2023 through May 2024, Ogletree engaged in a scheme to defraud by contacting company employees through phishing messages to gain unauthorized access to corporate networks.
He is charged with wire fraud and identity theft and was released on $50,000 bail. The alleged scheme resulted in over $4 million in losses. In October 2023, an employee of a U.S.-based telecom company received a call from someone impersonating IT support who pressured them to click a link sent by text message.
The employee entered their username and password, allowing Ogletree to allegedly steal confidential customer data, including API keys, which he used to access accounts and send out 8.5 million phishing messages aimed at stealing cryptocurrency. That same month, Ogletree allegedly targeted 149 employees of a financial institution with phishing text messages that redirected them to a website impersonating their employer. Twelve accounts were successfully breached.
19-year-old charged in hacking scheme
A European telecom provider was also breached through impersonation phone calls, enabling Ogletree to gain further access and send out 140,000 phishing messages. Ogletree was interviewed by the FBI in February at his home in Fort Worth.
He allegedly admitted to knowing key Scattered Spider members and explained that the group targets Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies, which often have less robust security measures. He also detailed his involvement in SIM-swapping scams, dating back to when he was 12 years old. Several days after his FBI interview, Ogletree reportedly turned to a money laundering service, requesting $75,000 in cash in exchange for cryptocurrency.
The service was part of an undercover FBI operation. Investigators believe Ogletree bragged about his exploits on a Telegram account, claiming to have earned $300,000 in 24 hours through a cryptocurrency exploit. He allegedly suggested hacking internet service providers with large customer email lists to set up phishing sites, mentioning the potential to make $10 million a year if dedicated.
This latest charge continues the federal crackdown on the Scattered Spider group as authorities work to dismantle its operations and bring its members to justice. Several other members have been arrested in recent months, including four Americans and individuals in the UK and Spain.
