Vietnam bank says interrupted cyber heist using SWIFT messaging

HANOI (May 15): Vietnam's Tien Phong Bank said that it interrupted an attempted cyber heist that involved the use of fraudulent SWIFT messages, the same technique at the heart of February's massive theft from the Bangladesh central bank.

Hanoi-based TPBank said in a statement late on Sunday in response to inquiries from Reuters that in the fourth quarter of last year it identified suspicious requests through fraudulent SWIFT messages to transfer more than 1 million euros ($1.55 million) of funds.

TPBank said it caught the attempt quickly enough to halt movement of funds to criminals by immediately contacting involved parties.

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