In brief
Amit Forlit, a 57-year-old Israeli hacker, is set to be extradited to the U.S. to face charges related to a hacking scheme that targeted climate groups on behalf of Exxon’s lobbying firm. His companies allegedly earned millions through this illegal operation.
A London court has ruled that Amit Forlit, a 57-year-old Israeli man, can be extradited to the United States. He faces serious charges for allegedly running a hacking ring targeting environmental organizations. Prosecutors in New York claim that Forlit's companies earned over $16 million by hacking more than 100 victims, gathering confidential information for a lobbying firm associated with ExxonMobil. In a court filing, Forlit’s legal team pointed to ExxonMobil as the industry giant behind the operation. Currently, Exxon is under scrutiny in various lawsuits for its alleged efforts to obscure the risks of climate change while profiting from oil sales. The lobbying firm mentioned in the case is identified as DCI Group.Exxon has publicly denied any involvement in, or knowledge of, illicit hacking activities, condemning such actions if they did occur. Meanwhile, DCI Group insists that they abide by the law and their employees are trained to do so, labeling the accusations as conspiracy theories pushed by anti-oil activists.
