[U.S. Department of Justice Extradites Member of Scattered Spider Hacker Group, Involved in Over $100 Million Cryptocurrency Ransom Attacks] BlockBeats News, July 2 – The U.S. Department of Justice announced the extradition of 19-year-old dual U.S.-Estonian citizen Peter Stokes from Finland. He is accused of being a member of the hacker group Scattered Spider (also known as Octo Tempest, UNC3944, 0ktapus). Prosecutors allege that the group carried out over 100 cyber intrusions, obtaining more than $100 million in cryptocurrency ransom payments and causing millions of dollars in business disruptions, forensic investigation costs, and system recovery expenses. According to the indictment, Peter Stokes was arrested in Finland in April 2026 under an Interpol Red Notice and was extradited to the U.S. last week. He made his first appearance in federal court in Chicago on July 1 and is currently facing multiple charges, including conspiracy, illegal computer system intrusion, and fraud. Prosecutors further allege that in May 2025, Peter Stokes participated in an attack on a luxury jewelry retailer, stealing corporate data and demanding approximately $8 million in cryptocurrency ransom. The victimized company did not pay the ransom but still incurred over $2 million in losses due to business interruptions and system repairs. The U.S. Department of Justice stated that this case is part of the FBI's "Operation Riptide" initiative to combat cybercrime, reflecting law enforcement's ongoing efforts to strengthen international collaboration in addressing ransomware and cybercrime activities involving cryptocurrency. [Original Link]