A 19-year-old London resident is potentially looking at a 95-year prison sentence for allegedly orchestrating a large-scale cyber extortion operation.

The scheme, which targeted around 47 U.S. entities, including the federal court system, is said to have extorted a staggering $115 million.

As per the report by Fortune, Thalha Jubair is believed to have led a nefarious hacking group dubbed “Scattered Spider.”

The group reportedly tricked company help desk employees into resetting passwords, thereby gaining access to data which they then held for ransom. The operation is said to have been active from May 2022 to September 2025.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) alleges that Jubair, along with his co-conspirators, targeted at least 120 computer networks. These included networks of airlines, manufacturers, retailers, tech companies, and financial services firms. The U.S. federal court system was also purportedly a target.

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The DOJ states that the hackers threatened to either delete or release the stolen data unless the victim companies agreed to pay a ransom. Some of these payments were traced back to a server allegedly under Jubair’s control.

Jubair was arrested at his East London residence this week by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and City of London Police. Another teenager, Owen Flowers, was also taken into custody in relation to the case.

Jubair and Flowers were charged in court this week. In addition to the hacking charges, Jubair is also facing charges for failing to disclose passwords for his seized devices.

This case underscores the growing threat of cybercrime and the increasing sophistication of hackers. It also highlights the vulnerability of even the most secure networks, such as those of the U.S. federal court system. 

The alleged involvement of teenagers in such a large-scale operation raises questions about the accessibility of hacking tools and the need for stronger cybersecurity measures across all sectors.

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