Cyber Incident Victim: European Central Bank
Date:
Jul 2022
Location:
Germany
Summary
The European Central Bank president was targeted in a phishing attempt involving spoofed text messages impersonating a former German chancellor, urging communication via WhatsApp under false pretenses of enhanced security. The institution swiftly identified and halted the attack, confirming no data compromise occurred. Investigators indicated the perpetrators aimed to hijack messaging accounts of prominent figures through this scheme.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
In July 2022, the European Central Bank (ECB) disclosed that its president, Christine Lagarde, had been targeted in a hacking attempt. The incident occurred recently prior to the July 12, 2022 announcement, though no specific date was provided. Attackers contacted Lagarde via text message appearing to originate from former German Chancellor Angela Merkel's personal cellphone number. The message allegedly claimed Merkel wished to communicate through WhatsApp for enhanced security. Lagarde responded by directly contacting Merkel via phone to verify the request's authenticity, which revealed the communication attempt to be fraudulent. The ECB confirmed the attack was identified and halted quickly through these verification measures. No sensitive information or systems were compromised during the incident according to the bank's statement. Initial reports from Business Insider suggested the attackers sought to gain control of WhatsApp and other messaging accounts belonging to high-profile individuals through this method. The ECB characterized the attempt as unsuccessful due to prompt detection and verification protocols.
The attack specifically targeted Lagarde's personal communication channels rather than ECB institutional systems. Investigation into the incident was ongoing at the time of the announcement, with the ECB declining to provide additional details about potential perpetrators or technical methodologies. The attackers' operational objective appeared focused on compromising messaging accounts of prominent figures rather than direct financial theft or institutional data breaches. No secondary impacts on ECB operations, financial systems, or eurozone stability were reported following the incident. The central bank maintained standard security protocols without implementing new emergency measures post-event. Public disclosure occurred through an emailed statement responding to media inquiries about Business Insider's report. The incident highlighted continued targeting of high-profile financial sector leaders through social engineering tactics despite existing security awareness. No further attempts or related incidents were disclosed by the ECB in immediate follow-up communications.