Alleged cybercriminal accused of hacking, demanding ransoms arrested in Finland, extradited to Chicago

Alleged cybercriminal accused of hacking and demanding ransoms is extradited to Chicago after being arrested in Finland, according to U.S. officials. Peter Stokes, 19, described as an alleged member of the “Scattered Spider” hacking group, was charged in a superseding complaint unsealed Tuesday in U.S. District Court. He faces conspiracy, cyber intrusion, and fraud counts. The U.S. Attorney’s office said Stokes, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Estonia, was arrested in Finland in April following an Interpol Red Notice and was extradited to the U.S. last week. At an initial court appearance Tuesday, he was ordered detained until trial. Prosecutors said the group has been tied to more than 100 hacking incidents, including an alleged May attack on a luxury jewelry retailer, demanding $8 million in cryptocurrency, while at least $2 million in losses stemmed from disruption and mitigation.