# French prosecutors probe €100m cyberattack on Crédit Mutuel

> Hackers stole around €100 million from France's Crédit Mutuel Arkéa banking group through an external service provider, with some funds converted to cryptocurrency.
- Title: French prosecutors probe €100m cyberattack on Crédit Mutuel
- Summary: Hackers stole around €100 million from France's Crédit Mutuel Arkéa banking group through an external service provider, with some funds converted to…
- Keywords: crédit mutuel arkéa, cyberattack, france, cybercrime, banking, hacking, cryptocurrency, fraud, RFI
- Source: RFI — https://rfi.fr/en/france/20261105-french-prosecutors-investigate-%E2%82%AC100m-cyberattack-on-cr%C3%A9dit-mutuel-banking-group
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: crédit mutuel arkéa, cyberattack, france, cybercrime, banking, hacking, cryptocurrency, fraud, news, world
## Crédit Mutuel Arkéa hit by major cyberattack
French prosecutors opened an investigation on 4 November after Crédit Mutuel Arkéa reported a sophisticated cyberattack involving fraudulent transfers estimated at around €100 million.
## Bank says customer accounts were safe
Crédit Mutuel Arkéa confirmed the attack on Wednesday, saying hackers targeted its own accounts rather than customer accounts, insisting that client savings and deposits were safe.
## Entry point was external service provider
Attackers gained access to Crédit Mutuel Arkéa's systems through the platform of an external service provider, allowing them to initiate fraudulent transfers from the bank's own account.
## Funds converted to cryptocurrency
The stolen money may have been converted into cryptocurrency through specialised trading platforms, potentially complicating efforts to trace and recover the funds.
## Fortuneo subsidiary not compromised
Crédit Mutuel Arkéa stressed that its online banking subsidiary Fortuneo had not been used as an entry point and that no customer accounts had been accessed.
## Reports suggest €118 million diverted
French regional newspaper Le Télégramme and cryptocurrency news outlet CoinDesk reported that as much as €118 million had been diverted. The bank declined to confirm that figure.
## Bank assesses financial impact
The bank said some money had already been blocked while efforts continued to recover the remainder. A spokesperson said it was too early to give a final figure.

> Our teams are continuing their work to precisely assess the financial consequences of this attack. It is still too early to give a final figure.
## Attack quickly detected and contained
Crédit Mutuel Arkéa's security systems quickly detected suspicious activity, allowing it to contain the attack and temporarily suspend certain transfers. Almost all operations resumed by Wednesday morning.
## No impact on customer assets
The bank insisted that the incident had no impact on customer assets and had only caused a delay in the execution of certain transfers. Financial stability was not at risk.

> This incident has had no impact on customer assets and has only caused a delay in the execution of certain transfers.
## Crédit Mutuel Arkéa's scale and reach
Headquartered near Brest, Crédit Mutuel Arkéa serves 5.8 million customers and manages more than €211 billion in assets. The group reported a net profit of €230 million in the first half of 2026.
## Growing concern over cyber threats
The attack comes amid growing concern among European regulators over cyber threats to financial institutions, particularly as banks rely increasingly on interconnected systems and external service providers.
## AI advances raise attack sophistication fears
Advances in artificial intelligence have raised fears of more sophisticated attacks, making cybercrime harder to detect and prevent among financial institutions.
## Investigation seeks attackers' identity
Investigators are seeking to establish how attackers gained access, who was responsible and where stolen funds were transferred. The attack has not been publicly claimed.
## Key takeaway

French prosecutors are investigating a sophisticated cyberattack on Crédit Mutuel Arkéa involving fraudulent transfers of around €100 million, with the bank racing to recover stolen funds.