France reports data breach affecting 1.2 million bank accounts

By Melike Pala

BRUSSELS (AA) - French authorities announced on Wednesday that personal data from roughly 1.2 million bank accounts were accessed by a malicious actor following unauthorized access to the national bank account database FICOBA in late January.

The Ministry of the Economy said in a statement that the breach involved an official’s credentials being misused, allowing the actor to view account details, account holder identities, addresses, and in some cases, tax identification numbers.

FICOBA is maintained by the French Public Finances Directorate (DGFIP) and lists all bank accounts opened in French banking institutions.

"From the end of January 2026, a malicious actor who used the credentials of an official with access was able to consult part of this file," the ministry said, adding that immediate measures were taken to prevent further intrusion.

Affected users will be notified individually, and banks have been informed to alert their clients.

The incident has been reported to the French Data Protection Authority (CNIL), and a formal complaint filed.

Authorities warned that exposure of this information could be exploited for identity theft, phishing, and other financial scams, including fraudsters posing as bank representatives.