An 18-year-old Wisconsin man has been charged with crimes related to a cyberattack on a fantasy sports and betting site this past fall that impacted approximately 60,000 accounts, according to an indictment unsealed Thursday by the United States Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York.
Joseph Garrison of Madison, Wisconsin, was charged with six counts of conspiracy, fraud and identity theft during a credential stuffing attack that began in mid-November. In a credential stuffing attack, the culprits use stolen usernames and passwords that often are obtained on the dark web.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, if convicted. Garrison surrendered to authorities Thursday in New York, according to the news release announcing the indictment.
“As alleged, Garrison attained unauthorized access to victim accounts using a sophisticated cyber-breaching attack to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars,” FBI assistant director in charge Michael J. Driscoll said in the release. “Cyber intrusions aiming to steal private individuals’ funds represent a serious risk to our economic security. Combatting cyberattacks and holding the responsible threat actors accountable in the criminal justice system remains a top priority for the FBI.”
The indictment did not identify the betting site, but DraftKings later released a statement saying it worked with law enforcement in the investigation.
“The safety and security of our customers’ personal and payment information is of paramount importance to DraftKings. We worked with law enforcement in catching the alleged bad actor(s), and we want to thank the Department of Justice, including the FBI and U.S. Attorney, Southern District of New York, for their prompt and effective action,” a DraftKings spokesperson said in the statement.
“As we stated previously, bad actor(s) were able use login credentials obtained from a third-party source to gain access to certain user accounts. When the identified credential stuffing incident occurred in November 2022, DraftKings provided notice to customers in relevant jurisdictions and restored amounts for a limited number of users who may have had funds improperly withdrawn from their accounts.”
FanDuel also was affected by a November cyberattack, but a spokesperson for the sportsbook said, “We were not materially impacted by this attack.”
Law enforcement executed a search on Garrison’s home in February and found “programs typically used for credential stuffing attacks” and computer files containing nearly 40 million username and password pairs, according to the release. In addition, authorities located discussions about how to hack the website and extract funds from the alleged victims’ accounts on Garrison’s phone, including a message that stated, “fraud is fun . . . im addicted to see money in my account . . . im like obsessed with bypassing s—,” according to the release.
In December, DraftKings revealed in a data breach notification to the Maine Attorney General’s Office that 67,995 people were exposed in the November incident. The sportsbook had estimated that $300,000 worth of unauthorized funds were withdrawn in the attack.
Wisconsin man, 18, charged in cyberattack on sportsbook
- Advertisment - 
Recent Comments
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CBS Sports announces Matt Ryan will join NFL studio show. Longtime analysts Simms and Esiason depart
on Carlos Sainz’s Soccer Fanboy Emerges as Spaniard Shares Defining Moment With This Real Madrid Legend
on Biden: ‘At this point I’m not’ planning to visit East Palestine, Ohio, after toxic train derailment
on ‘Best Intention’: Chris Kirk Has Absolute Trust in Jay Monahan and PGA Tour’s Widely Debated Model
on Ahead of big sports weekend, dispute with Disney leaves millions of cable subscribers in the dark
on A heavy wave of Russian missile attacks pounds areas across Ukraine, killing at least 4 civilians
on 2024 Super Bowl: CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports HQ to combine for 115 hours of weeklong coverage
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on Army vs. Coastal Carolina live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez Spreads Joy and Sportsmanship to the Youth of Loma de Cabrera
on After UFC Fallout, Conor McGregor Offers a Valuable Piece of Advice to Free Agent Francis Ngannou
on Dubai International Airport sees 41.6 million passengers in first half of year, more than in 2019
on Devout athletes find strength in their faith. But practicing it and elite sports can pose hurdles
on Despite strong Lunar New Year holiday data, consumer spending in China isn’t roaring back just yet
on Dave Portnoy: Taylor Swift’s security should ‘drag Kim Kardashian to jail’ if she attends Eras Tour
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CBS Sports, Serie A announce new TV rights deal; Paramount+ to air over 400 Italian soccer matches
on Cam Newton’s Violent Public Incident Draws Hilarious Reaction From 3x All-Star: “Where Do I Sign Up
on Boston College vs. Army live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on Angel Reese Launches Foundation Dedicated To Empowering Women Through Sports & Financial Literacy
on A weaker dollar, skyrocketing prices and ‘record’ visitor numbers: Good luck in Europe this summer