Three key members of a "prolific hacking group" that allegedly stole millions of credit card numbers have been arrested in an international operation.

The group - known as both "FIN7" and "the Carbanak Group" - stole more than 15 million customer card records from businesses in the US, UK, Australia and France.

FIN7 is considered to be a sophisticated professional hacking group that also targeted financial organisations in Russia, according to research by cyber security firm Kaspersky Lab.

Kimberly Goody, the manager of financial crime analysis at security firm FireEye which also tracked the hackers, said they had used "innovative methods to evade detection" while stealing millions.

There are reports that one bank lost more than $7m (£5.3m) when FIN7 hackers forced its ATMs to dispense cash at pre-planned times when henchmen would collect it.


Speaking to journalists the US Attorney General for the Western District of Washington, Annette Hayes, said that the department was "under no illusion that we have taken this group down altogether".

However, the FBI's Special Agent in Charge, Jay Tabb, said: "The naming of these FIN7 leaders marks a major step towards dismantling this sophisticated criminal enterprise."

Special Agent in Charge Jay S. Tabb, Jr. will describe at the news conference how FIN7 conducted its scheme to steal credit card data from unsuspecting customers at more than 3,600 businesses across the United States. Tune in at https://t.co/4F3f1rH0Sy pic.twitter.com/hudrNB4c82 — FBI Seattle (@FBISeattle) August 1, 2018

The assistant Attorney General, Brian Benczkowski, said: "The three Ukrainian nationals indicted today allegedly were part of a prolific hacking group that targeted American companies and citizens by stealing valuable consumer data, including personal credit card information, that they then sold on the dark net.

"Because hackers are committed to finding new ways to harm the American public and our economy, the Department of Justice remains steadfast in its commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to identify, interdict, and prosecute those responsible for these threats."

According to the FBI, the three men are all Ukrainian nationals and were named as Dmytro Fedorov, 44, Fedir Hladyr, 33, and 30-year-old Andrii Kopakov.

Hladyr is in US custody while Federov and Kopakov are awaiting extradition from Spain and Poland respectively.

Each of the three FIN7 conspirators is charged with 26 felony counts alleging conspiracy, wire fraud, computer hacking, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft.