UK sentences two hackers tied to $115M crypto ransom scheme
A UK court on Thursday sentences two hackers tied to the Scattered Spider cybercrime group after they pleaded guilty, closing a major case linked to crypto ransom schemes that US prosecutors say extracted about $115 million from at least 47 companies. The National Crime Agency and City of London Police said each received five years and six months in prison.
Key Takeaways
- Two men linked to Scattered Spider each received five years and six months in a UK prison.
- They pleaded guilty at Woolwich Crown Court on June 22 and were sentenced on Thursday.
- US prosecutors tied the group to about $115 million in crypto ransoms from at least 47 US companies.
- Investigators also linked the group to a September 2024 London public-transport breach costing about £29 million ($38.9 million).
- In July 2024, the FBI seized roughly $36 million in crypto from wallets tied to the group.
Why does a case that sentences two hackers tied to crypto extortion matter?
The ruling lands at the intersection of cybercrime enforcement and digital-asset risk. According to Cointelegraph’s report on the sentencing, British authorities said the pair were part of Scattered Spider, a group investigators have linked to high-profile ransomware and cryptocurrency extortion against companies in the UK and the US.
For readers following Fintech & Crypto Alerts, the case underscores how ransom payments denominated in crypto remain a core feature of large-scale network extortion, and how law enforcement is pairing local prosecutions with cross-border financial tracing.
What did UK authorities say happened in court?
The NCA and City of London Police said the two men associated with Scattered Spider were sentenced to five years and six months each. They pleaded guilty during their first court appearance at Woolwich Crown Court on June 22 and were sentenced on Thursday, the NCA said in a press release cited by Cointelegraph.
British authorities said the hacking group was linked to the infiltration of London’s public transport network in September 2024. That incident led to a reported £29 million ($38.9 million) in losses and recovery costs, highlighting how cyber intrusions can hit critical public services as well as private firms.
How is Scattered Spider connected to the $115M crypto ransom figure?
US prosecutors linked Scattered Spider to collecting $115 million in crypto ransom payments from at least 47 US companies, according to a September Department of Justice press release summarized in the Cointelegraph report. Prosecutors said the group’s attacks disrupted businesses and organizations nationwide, including critical infrastructure and the federal court system.
The group was also accused of breaching Caesars Entertainment and stealing a large customer database in September 2023, prompting the company to pay a $15 million ransom in Bitcoin (BTC). Separately, the DOJ said investigators linked the group to at least 120 computer network intrusions.
In July 2024, the FBI seized about $36 million worth of cryptocurrency from Scattered Spider-linked wallets, according to the same DOJ release. Officials said the FBI traced and seized digital assets tied to wallets allegedly controlled by group members as part of the investigation.
Matthew Galeotti, then acting assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, said the attacks caused widespread disruption and highlighted the growing threat posed by brazen cybercriminals. The UK sentences add a high-profile courtroom outcome to that wider enforcement picture without resolving every alleged intrusion tied to the brand.