Alleged Scattered Spider hacker extradited to the US after Finland arrest
The Justice Department said Peter Stokes, 19, a dual US-Estonian citizen, was extradited to the United States to face charges in federal court in Chicago over his alleged role in Scattered Spider, a loosely organized hacking crew also tracked as Octo Tempest, UNC3944 and 0ktapus. Stokes was detained in April at Helsinki’s airport while trying to board a flight to Japan and transferred to US custody the following week.
Prosecutors allege the group gained access to corporate employee accounts through social engineering, then encrypted or stole data and extorted cryptocurrency, tying it to over 100 intrusions and more than $100m in ransoms. The specific complaint accuses Stokes and others of breaching a luxury jewelry retailer in May 2025 and demanding roughly $8m. The extradition signals continued cross-border pressure on a group whose members are often young, English-speaking and based in Western countries — a profile that had complicated earlier enforcement.