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Teen hacker extradited in $8M crypto ransom case tied to Scattered Spider
A 19-year-old hacker tied to the Scattered Spider collective faces federal charges after a luxury retailer breach demanding $8 million in crypto. Two terabytes of data were seized at his arrest.
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A 19-year-old dual US-Estonian national appeared in a Chicago federal courtroom on June 30, facing charges tied to a luxury retailer breach that demanded roughly $8 million in cryptocurrency.
Peter Stokes was arrested at Helsinki airport in April 2026 while trying to board a flight to Japan, according to federal prosecutors. Finnish authorities detained him, and he was extradited to the US. The charges include conspiracy to damage protected computers, cyber intrusion, and fraud.
Prosecutors said Stokes was a working member of Scattered Spider, a hacking collective known for social-engineering attacks. The group calls help desks, impersonates employees, and talks its way into corporate accounts. Targets have included retail, hospitality, financial services, and technology companies.
The centerpiece of the case is a May 2025 breach of a luxury jewelry retailer. The attackers demanded about $8 million in cryptocurrency. The company refused to pay. The retailer spent over $2 million recovering from the attack, restoring systems, and dealing with the fallout, the indictment said.