{
  "id": 18330452,
  "title": "Hackers steal US$112mil from French bank",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/hackers-steal-us-112mil-from-french-bank",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-05T16:04:58.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2026/11/1571806/hackers-steal-us112mil-french-bank"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Credit Mutuel Arkea, a French cooperative bank, announced on Thursday that hackers had stolen approximately €100 million (US$112.61 million) in a cyber heist, marking a rare instance of cybercriminals successfully stealing from a mainstream bank. The attack, made public on Wednesday, follows the theft of $6.3 billion in cryptocurrency from Binance and a surge of cyberattacks targeting internet-connected devices in Europe. French prosecutors are currently investigating the incident.\n\nThe cybercriminals exploited an account belonging to Credit Mutuel Arkea to carry out fraudulent transactions, according to the bank. While the stolen funds were not in cryptocurrency form, they could potentially be converted to crypto after the theft. Credit Mutuel Arkea temporarily suspended some transactions as a precaution, causing delays in certain transfers, but assured that customer assets remained unaffected. The bank denied media reports suggesting its online banking subsidiary, Fortuneo, served as the entry point for the attack, emphasizing that neither Fortuneo nor its customers' accounts were involved.\n\nCybersecurity experts describe the Credit Mutuel attack as unprecedented in Europe, highlighting the increasing sophistication of cyberattacks targeting banking institutions. Rafay Baloch, CEO of cybersecurity and security engineering firm RedSecLabs, attributed the rarity of such incidents to the advanced applications and social engineering tactics employed in targeted attacks on financial institutions. French prosecutors received a complaint from Credit Mutuel Arkea on Wednesday and promptly initiated an investigation led by France's cybercrime police.\n\nCredit Mutuel Arkea, with over 5.8 million customers and €211.5 billion in assets, is part of the broader Credit Mutuel banking network and operates with significant strategic autonomy. While successful cyberattacks on large financial institutions are uncommon, financial regulators worldwide have intensified warnings about the risk of cyberattacks, particularly as artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent. Puneet Kakkar, Managing Director at Nardello & Co in Paris, emphasized the gravity of any breach in the financial system.",
  "summary": "PARIS: French lender Credit Mutuel Arkea said on Thursday hackers had stolen around €100 million (US$112.61 million) in a cyber heist and it was working to try to recover the money, in a rare case of cybercriminals successfully stealing from a mainstream bank.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times - World News",
        "title": "French bank says cyberattack stole around $100 mn",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/french-bank-says-cyberattack-stole-around-100-mn",
        "published": "2026-11-05T09:50:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "France 24",
        "title": "Cyberattack hits French blood bank site, no blood products compromised",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/cyberattack-hits-french-blood-bank-site-no-blood-products-compromised",
        "published": "2026-11-05T10:25:41.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "French bank cyberattack exposes growing supply chain risk in the financial sector",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/french-bank-cyberattack-exposes-growing-supply-chain-risk-in-the",
        "published": "2026-11-05T10:32:16.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "French bank Credit Mutuel Arkea says €100 million missing after cyberattack",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/french-bank-credit-mutuel-arkea-says-100-million-missing-after",
        "published": "2026-11-05T11:47:32.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Silicon Republic",
        "title": "Hackers steal €100m from French bank Crédit Mutuel Arkéa",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/hackers-steal-100m-from-french-bank-credit-mutuel-arkea",
        "published": "2026-11-05T16:05:46.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}