Hackers siphon millions from French bank into crypto
French banking group Credit Mutuel Arkea has confirmed losing around €100 million in a sophisticated cyberattack that exploited a third-party service provider.
The attackers gained access through a compromised external service provider and used the bank's own accounts to carry out fraudulent transfers to other financial institutions. Blockchain investigator ZachXBT initially estimated the theft at over $106 million before identifying another $27 million in suspicious withdrawals, bringing the total to approximately $133 million.
Credit Mutuel Arkea acknowledged the scale of the attack in a statement on Wednesday but declined to confirm the exact amount stolen. The bank described the breach as "a sophisticated attack coming from the outside," emphasizing it was not caused by human error.
Investigation Underway
French prosecutors have launched an investigation into what they described as an "attack on an automated data processing system by an organized group." No suspects have been publicly identified, and authorities have not established who was behind the operation.
The bank described the breach as "a sophisticated attack coming from the outside," saying it was not caused by human error.
Broader Cyber Wave
The massive bank heist comes amid a wave of cyberattacks hitting France. Hackers recently compromised refrigeration systems at three regional blood banks, with staff saving blood supplies by moving them to backup units. French Finance Minister Roland Lescure confirmed hackers tampered with refrigeration systems at around 700 supermarkets in October.
A fresh wave of attacks on Monday hit retailers in at least nine European countries, forcing refrigeration units into defrost mode and causing temperatures to soar to as high as 50C (122F). In Belgium alone, approximately 75 supermarkets were affected, leaving stores with large quantities of spoiled food.
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