French Bank Arkéa Loses $133 Million in Crypto Cyberattack as European Coolers Targeted
French bank Crédit Mutuel Arkéa lost over 133 million dollars in a major cyberattack involving cryptocurrency conversions. Simultaneously, hackers targeted refrigeration systems at the French national blood service and supermarkets across Europe.
French regional bank Crédit Mutuel Arkéa confirmed it was targeted in a cyberattack involving fraudulent operations, resulting in the theft of over 133 million dollars, according to local reports. The stolen funds were converted into cryptocurrencies, primarily Monero and Ethereum, and withdrawn over a span of 21 hours across Kraken, Crypto.com, and OKX exchanges, with approximately 95 percent processed through Kraken.
Arkéa stated that its teams acted swiftly upon detecting the breach, temporarily suspending specific operations as a precautionary measure to secure systems and prevent further fraud. The bank emphasized that the situation is currently under control and customers will not suffer any financial losses.
Simultaneously, hackers manipulated cooling systems at three sites belonging to France's national blood service, altering blood storage temperatures from minus 30 degrees Celsius to 110 degrees Celsius. A technician detected the anomaly rapidly, preventing any damage or loss of blood supplies. The national blood service confirmed the attack, which reportedly exploited a vulnerability in an external refrigeration equipment supplier.
These incidents coincide with a wave of cyberattacks targeting supermarket refrigeration systems across several European nations, including Germany, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden, leading to significant food spoilage. Experts warn that industrial infrastructures remain particularly vulnerable due to the integration of computing systems with legacy operational equipment.
