Two Suspected Scattered Spider Members Plead Guilty in UK Transport for London Case

Two young men in the United Kingdom have pleaded guilty to charges tied to the August 2024 cyberattack that disrupted Transport for London, the agency overseeing public transit across the London area. Their admissions came on the opening day of a trial that had been expected to last several weeks.

Thalha Jubair, 20, of East London, and Owen Flowers, 18, of Walsall, admitted conspiring to carry out unauthorized activity against TfL computer systems and to causing a risk of serious harm to human welfare. Authorities have described both as significant figures in the cybercrime group known as Scattered Spider.

Broader investigations in the U.K. and U.S.

Flowers also reportedly admitted involvement in a separate conspiracy targeting U.S. healthcare providers SSM Health Care Corporation and Sutter Health in September 2024. Jubair, meanwhile, is sought by U.S. law enforcement in connection with a wider case filed in New Jersey.

That U.S. indictment, unsealed in 2025, accuses Jubair and other alleged Scattered Spider participants of computer fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with 120 intrusions affecting 47 organizations from 2022 through 2025. Prosecutors say victims paid at least $115 million in ransom.

Investigators have linked the group to a range of social-engineering attacks, including SIM-swapping and mass SMS phishing. According to prosecutors, Jubair helped run a Telegram channel known as Star Chat, where stolen access and SIM-swapping services were allegedly traded. The tactic allowed attackers to hijack phone numbers and intercept calls and text messages, including one-time authentication codes.

• Flowers and Jubair were arrested in the U.K. in 2025.
• Both were also connected by authorities to ransomware incidents affecting British retailers.
• U.S. prosecutors say the group’s phishing campaigns led to thefts from more than 130 organizations.

The case is one of several recent prosecutions involving alleged Scattered Spider members. Other defendants have already entered guilty pleas or received prison sentences in the United States. Flowers and Jubair are scheduled to be sentenced in London on July 15, 2026.