06.11.2026 10:02
Cyber attacks targeting banks in different countries around the world have caused millions of dollars in losses. In Taiwan, unauthorized money was withdrawn from the accounts of hundreds of customers, while in South Korea 37 financial institutions were affected by the attacks. In France, an allegation of an attack worth approximately 133 million dollars came to the agenda. The consecutive incidents have opened the security of banking systems to debate.
Banks and financial institutions around the world are facing cyberattacks carried out through various methods. In recent cases, it has been determined that attackers did not only capture customers' passwords but also exploited the systems of companies that provide services to banks. In particular, the developments announced in Taiwan, South Korea, and France in the first days of November revealed the scale of security risks in the financial sector.
UNAUTHORIZED WITHDRAWALS MADE FROM 419 ACCOUNTS IN TAIWAN
In an attack on SinoPac Bank's mobile banking infrastructure in Taiwan, a total of 427 unauthorized transactions were carried out from the accounts of 419 customers. Approximately 41.76 million Taiwan dollars, or 1.3 million US dollars, were transferred from the accounts to another bank account.
In a statement by the bank, it was stated that the attackers carried out the transactions by bypassing the security settings of the suppliers serving the new mobile banking system. The account to which the suspicious transfers were made was frozen, while it was announced that the losses of affected customers were covered. The bank reported that there was no evidence that customer data had been leaked.
37 FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TARGETED IN SOUTH KOREA
In South Korea, a total of 40 cybersecurity incidents were recorded at 37 financial institutions between September 30 and November 3. It was announced that approximately 473,000 data records were leaked as a result of the attacks, and assets worth approximately 1 billion won were stolen from some financial institutions.
The affected organizations include banks, insurance companies, investment institutions, electronic payment services, and cryptocurrency businesses. Authorities stated that it was not confirmed that money was stolen directly from customer accounts. Following the developments, it was decided to audit the security systems of approximately 580 financial institutions.
ALLEGED $133 MILLION ATTACK IN FRANCE
Crédit Mutuel Arkéa, one of France's major banking groups, confirmed that it had been subjected to a large-scale cyberattack carried out from outside. It was announced that the attackers accessed the system through the platform of a company from which the bank receives services and made money transfers from the bank's accounts to other financial institutions.
While it was claimed that approximately $133 million was targeted in the attack, the bank's management did not confirm this figure as a definite loss. The bank emphasized that customers' accounts were not accessed and that their assets were not affected. It was reported that part of the stolen money was frozen and that efforts to recover the remaining amount were ongoing.
NUMBER OF CYBERATTACKS REACHED A RECORD IN BRAZIL
According to data from the Central Bank of Brazil, 99 cybersecurity incidents were recorded in the financial sector in the first nine months of 2026. Of these, 68 were classified as fraud. Thus, in just nine months, the total of 76 incidents recorded in all of 2025 was exceeded.
Authorities stated that security vulnerabilities of third-party service providers, unauthorized access, and weaknesses in payment systems stood out in the attacks. However, it was also stated that improvements in auditing and detection mechanisms contributed to the increase in the number of incidents.
MORE THAN 6,000 BANK ACCOUNTS TARGETED IN INDONESIA
In an attack on Bank Jambi in Indonesia, the accounts of 6,609 customers were targeted. Money amounting to approximately 144.82 billion Indonesian rupiah was transferred to accounts controlled by the attackers and later converted into crypto assets.
The Indonesian police announced that three suspects linked to the attack carried out on February 22, 2026, were caught in July. It was reported that assets worth approximately 18.94 billion rupiah were seized during the investigation.
$12.8 MILLION FRAUD IN SINGAPORE
A petrochemical company operating in Singapore sent $12.8 million to an account in Cambodia due to fake payment instructions made to appear as if they came from its business partner. It was determined that the fraudsters used an authorization document containing a forged signature and stamp.
Following the company's complaint, the police in Singapore and Cambodia took action. As a result of efforts in which the bank also participated, all of the money was recovered.
MILLIONS STOLEN THROUGH FAKE BANK PHONE CALLS IN JAPAN
In Japan's Yamagata region, it was revealed that fraudsters posing as bank employees stole approximately 912 million yen by directing companies to fake online banking pages.
According to the investigation announced in July 2026, the fraud in question took place on March 10, 2025. The attackers, who obtained the account information of company employees, made unauthorized money transfers.
NO GENERAL DECISION TO CLOSE BANKS
Although incidents emerging in different parts of the world show that threats to banks' cybersecurity systems are increasing, not all of them occurred in the same period or were linked to the same attack group. In addition, not every incident means that bank systems were directly hacked; in some cases, fake phone calls, email fraud, and misuse of credentials are involved.
In the news reviewed, there is no decision to close banks across countries or to collectively seize customers' savings.