AT&T, Verizon hack investigation expands to military espionage claims
The plot thickens: the story of the 21-year-old US soldier who's been linked to AT&T, Verizon hacks (and who has pleaded guilty recently) could be now transferred to the espionage genre.
As you know, a US Army soldier has pleaded guilty to illegally obtaining and selling phone records from AT&T and Verizon. Known online as Kiberphant0m, the communications specialist was arrested near a Texas army base in December.
He is accused of selling stolen call logs, offering SIM-swapping services targeting Verizon customers, and attempting to extort AT&T by claiming to possess call records of high-profile figures, including Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. He also claimed to have uploaded sensitive NSA data online.
Wagenius allegedly maintained a botnet for denial-of-service attacks and sold remote access credentials for a US defense contractor. Authorities believe he worked alongside Canadian cybercriminal Connor Riley Moucka, also known as Judische, who was arrested in October for stealing and extorting data from Snowflake.
Now, Bloomberg reports that Wagenius allegedly attempted to sell stolen data to a foreign military intelligence agency, according to court documents.
In November 2024, he is said to have contacted an email address he believed belonged to an unidentified country's intelligence service, offering confidential records. Around the same time, he searched online for whether hacking could be considered treason and looked up how to defect to countries without US extradition agreements. Prosecutors also claim he researched the Russian embassy in Washington, as well as cases of US military personnel defecting to Russia.
Authorities discovered evidence on Wagenius’ devices suggesting access to thousands of stolen identification documents, including passports and driver's licenses, alongside large cryptocurrency holdings.
His actions were believed to be part of a broader cyber campaign linked to the breach of Snowflake customers, which targeted multiple organizations. His alleged accomplice, Connor Moucka, is now facing extradition in Canada on charges related to stolen AT&T and Snowflake customer data.
As you know, a US Army soldier has pleaded guilty to illegally obtaining and selling phone records from AT&T and Verizon. Known online as Kiberphant0m, the communications specialist was arrested near a Texas army base in December.
Wagenius allegedly maintained a botnet for denial-of-service attacks and sold remote access credentials for a US defense contractor. Authorities believe he worked alongside Canadian cybercriminal Connor Riley Moucka, also known as Judische, who was arrested in October for stealing and extorting data from Snowflake.
Moucka is suspected of enlisting Wagenius to distribute stolen data, including telecom records.
Now, Bloomberg reports that Wagenius allegedly attempted to sell stolen data to a foreign military intelligence agency, according to court documents.
In November 2024, he is said to have contacted an email address he believed belonged to an unidentified country's intelligence service, offering confidential records. Around the same time, he searched online for whether hacking could be considered treason and looked up how to defect to countries without US extradition agreements. Prosecutors also claim he researched the Russian embassy in Washington, as well as cases of US military personnel defecting to Russia.
Authorities discovered evidence on Wagenius’ devices suggesting access to thousands of stolen identification documents, including passports and driver's licenses, alongside large cryptocurrency holdings.
His actions were believed to be part of a broader cyber campaign linked to the breach of Snowflake customers, which targeted multiple organizations. His alleged accomplice, Connor Moucka, is now facing extradition in Canada on charges related to stolen AT&T and Snowflake customer data.
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