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France Says Hacker Viewed 1.2 Million Bank Accounts in National Registry Breach

Officials report containment, with alerts underway to regulators, banks, customers.

Overview

  • The Economy Ministry said the intruder used an official’s stolen credentials in late January to consult the FICOBA registry.
  • Exposed details include IBANs, account holder names and addresses, with tax identifiers in some cases.
  • Authorities said balances were not visible and no banking operations could be performed through the accessed system.
  • Access was blocked, a criminal complaint was filed, CNIL was notified, banks were alerted, and affected account holders will receive notices in the coming days.
  • The French Banking Federation warned of risks such as fraudulent direct debits, subscription scams, and social‑engineering attempts, advising customers to monitor accounts and dispute suspect debits promptly.