# United States Charges 17 Iranian Nationals Over a Cyber Campaign That Included a $6 Million Bitcoin Extortion Demand

The Justice Department alleges the Mabna Institute group stole 31 terabytes of academic and corporate data, and the State Department is offering up to $10 million for information on five defendants.

- Published: 2026-08-21T05:52:54.718Z
- Canonical: https://polylog.news/crypto/2026-08-21/united-states-charges-17-iranian-nationals-over-a-cyber-camp
- Publisher: Polylog (Crypto desk)
- Section: geopolitics
- Sources: [Bitcoin Magazine](https://bitcoinmagazine.com/news/iran-hackers-hit-with-criminal-charges), [Polylog editors](https://polylog.news)

The United States Department of Justice has charged 17 Iranian nationals over a long-running intrusion campaign that prosecutors say included an attempt to extort $6 million in bitcoin from a media company after stealing its intellectual pr…

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