French bank Crédit Mutuel Arkéa says it was the target of a cyberattack worth around 100 million euros, according to a provisional estimate in a statement released on Wednesday evening, AFP reported. The attackers used the bank's own account to send money to other banks and then converted it into cryptocurrency through specialised platforms. The bank says customer money was not affected and that part of the funds has already been blocked.
A provider as entry point. According to the bank, the hackers did not go through the accounts of customers of its federations or subsidiaries. Contrary to some press reports, it says no intrusion came through its online bank Fortuneo. Instead, the attackers went through the platform of one of its service providers and reached Crédit Mutuel Arkéa directly. The bank rules out human error on its side and describes a sophisticated attack from outside.
How much was taken. The figures differ slightly between sources. The bank speaks of roughly 100 million euros, still being assessed. Regional newspaper Le Télégramme put the amount at 133 million dollars (118 million euros); Arkéa did not confirm that figure but validated the order of magnitude. On Friday, Daniel Baal, president of the Confédération Nationale du Crédit Mutuel, told France 5 that more than 100 million euros were taken and that Arkéa had already recovered part of it, without giving an amount.
An investigation is open. The cybercrime section of the Paris prosecutor's office received a complaint from the group on Wednesday morning and immediately opened an investigation into an attack on an automated data processing system by an organised gang, prosecutors told AFP. The case was handed to the Office anticybercriminalité (OFAC). No one has claimed the attack, and Baal said he could not say whether it came from France or abroad.
Transfers briefly paused. Once the attack was detected, the bank temporarily suspended some transactions as a precaution. Almost all operations resumed the next morning after checks and reinforced security measures. Arkéa says the attack is now contained, that customers' assets are unaffected and that the only effect was delayed transfers. It adds the losses do not threaten its financial soundness; the group, based near Brest, reported a net profit of 230 million euros in the first half of the year.
Why it matters
The second wave. The bank warned customers that phishing attempts are possible following the attack. It has not reported any theft of customer data, but incidents like this often trigger opportunistic scams that exploit customers' worries. Baal said banks face cyberattacks every day and that the whole banking sector is now looking at what could have happened. The attack came less than a week after crypto exchange Binance reported a hack affecting assets it estimates at 6.3 billion dollars.
- Be wary of emails, texts or calls mentioning the cyberattack and asking you to act urgently.
- Never share passwords or confirmation codes, even with someone claiming to be your bank.
- Check your accounts only through the bank's official app or website.
- Report any suspicious message to your bank.
Sources: Boursorama / AFP, AFP (Yahoo Finance)
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