Anthony Yates
Authorities have reportedly arrested a teen in connection with “sophisticated” cyber intrusions on multiple Las Vegas casino properties. He used various aliases while carrying out the attacks.
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What happened: According to a press release by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD), the attacks occurred between August 2023 and October 2023. The FBI’s Las Vegas Cyber Task Force took over the investigation and made an arrest on September 17, 2025.
- The press release explains that several Las Vegas casinos fell victim to “sophisticated network intrusions.” The hackers reportedly used several identities, including “Scattered Spider”, “Octo Tempest”, “UNC3944”, and “0ktapus.”
- Investigators ultimately identified one suspect as a teenage male. He reportedly surrendered himself to the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center, where he faces multiple charges.
- Per SFGate, the attacks cost businesses $100 million. MGM, which owns various resorts in Las Vegas, claimed in a filing that hackers disabled hotel keycards and slot machines. They also reportedly disrupted bookings and reservations and even locked employees out of their emails.
The Hacker Quickly Gained Access To MGM Systems
Within 10 minutes: According to SFGate, the hacker faced little resistance accessing MGM systems.
- Someone reportedly found an MGM Grand employee on LinkedIn and impersonated them. They contacted the IT department masquerading as the employee and requested a password reset. The outlet explains they had access to critical systems “within 10 minutes.”
- Per KTLA, hackers also hit Caesars Entertainment around the same time, per an SEC filing. The hackers allegedly gained access to sensitive customer data, including social security numbers.
- A report by NBC News from September 2023 reveals that Caesar’s claimed it had “taken steps to ensure that the stolen data is deleted by the unauthorized actor, although we cannot guarantee this result.”
- The outlet cites cybersecurity experts who believe the response meant that Caesar’s paid the hackers. Emsisoft Analyst Brett Callow told NBC, “Ransomware operators typically only delete data if the ransom is paid.” He described the alleged transaction as a “pinky promise from cyber criminals.”
Trialed as an adult: Per the LVMPD, the teen faces the following charges:
- Three counts of Obtaining and Using Personal Identifying Information of Another Person to Harm or Impersonate a Person
- One count of Extortion
- One count of Conspiracy to Commit Extortion
- One count of Unlawful Acts Regarding Computers
The District Attorney’s Office is reportedly seeking to transfer the teen to the criminal division, where he would face the charges as an adult.
