Hackers in 2016 stole 2 billion rubles -- equivalent to $31 million -- from accounts that banks keep at Russia's central bank.

The Bank of Russia confirmed the cyberattacks and the extent of the losses to CNNMoney on Friday.

Hackers had tried to steal 5 billion rubles, but the central banking authority managed to stop them and redirect the funds, according to central bank security executive Artiom Sychev.

"We were lucky to return some of money," said a central bank spokesperson.

The hackers targeted commercial banks, but they also stole cash from their clients, the central bank reported.

The central bank did not say when the cyberheists occurred, but said they took place over 2016. They also did not say how hackers moved the funds. But so far, the attack bears some similarity to a recent string of heists that has targeted the worldwide financial system.

In January 2015, hackers got a hold of an Ecuadorian bank's codes for using SWIFT, the worldwide interbank communication network that settles transactions. They used Banco del Austro's credentials to steal money the bank kept at Wells Fargo.

In October, hackers used the same technique to slip into a bank in the Philippines.

Two months later, hackers tried to make fraudulent requests at a commercial bank in Vietnam. They were stopped.

This past February, computer hackers stole $101 million from Bangladesh's central bank -- also by gaining access to SWIFT. That time, the bank robbers made five transfers out of Bangladesh Bank's account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The hackers tried to steal $951 million, but the Fed cut them off before the completion of the theft.

Researchers at the cybersecurity firm Symantec have concluded that the global banking system has been under sustained attack from a sophisticated group -- dubbed "Lazarus" -- that has been linked to North Korea.

But it's unclear who has attacked Russian banks this time around.

Earlier Friday, the Russian government claimed it had foiled an attempt to erode public confidence in its financial system.

Russian's top law enforcement agency, the FSB, said hackers were planning to use a collection of computer servers in the Netherlands to attack Russian banks. Typically, hackers use this kind of infrastructure to launch a "denial of service" attack, which disrupts websites and business operations by flooding a target with data.

The FSB said hackers also planned to spread fake news about Russian banks, sending mass text messages and publishing stories on social media questioning their financial stability and licenses to operate.

Editors note: This story has been updated to clarify that the losses cited from cyberattacks at Russia's central bank were for 2016, not a single attack. </s> Hackers have stolen more than 2 billion roubles ($31.3 million) from banks' correspondent accounts in Russian central bank, the central bank official Artyom Sychyov told a briefing on Friday.

He added that hackers attempted to stole around 5 billion roubles.

Hackers broke into accounts at the Russian central bank earlier this year by faking a client's credentials and attempted to steal $45 million, the bank said in a report released earlier on Friday. </s> A padlock is displayed at the Alert Logic booth during the 2016 Black Hat cyber-security conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. August 3, 2016. REUTERS/David Becker

MOSCOW (Reuters) - (This December 2 story corrects to show the 2 billion rubles is combined amount stolen from accounts in central bank and commercial banks, not from central bank alone; clarifies that the figures are total stolen in cyberattacks for the year to date)

Hackers stole more than 2 billion rubles ($31 million) from correspondent accounts at the Russian central bank and from accounts in commercial banks, the bank said on Friday, the latest example of an escalation of cyber attacks on financial institutions around the globe.

Central bank official Artyom Sychyov discussed the losses at a briefing, saying that the hackers had attempted to steal about 5 billion rubles. He said the figures were the totals recorded stolen, or the target of attempted theft, in cyber attacks over the course of 2016.

Sychyov was commenting on a central bank report released earlier in the day, that told of hackers breaking into accounts there by faking a client’s credentials. The bank provided few other details in its lengthy report.

Financial regulators around the world have recently urged banks to beef up cyber security in the wake of a string of high-profile heists on banks around the world.

Fears about attacks on banks have mounted since February when unknown cyber criminals stole $81 million in funds that Bangladesh’s central bank had on deposit at the New York Fed. Law enforcement agencies around the globe are hunting for the criminals who stole the money using fraudulent wire-transfer requests sent over the SWIFT bank messaging network.

Separately, Russia said on Friday that it had uncovered a plot by foreign spy agencies to sow chaos in the country’s banking system via a coordinated wave of cyber attacks and fake social media reports about banks going bust.

($1 = 63.8300 rubles) </s> A padlock is displayed at the Alert Logic booth during the 2016 Black Hat cyber-security conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. August 3, 2016. REUTERS/David Becker

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Hackers stole more than 2 billion rubles ($31 million) from correspondent accounts at the Russian central bank, the bank said on Friday, the latest example of an escalation of cyber attacks on financial institutions around the globe.

Central bank official Artyom Sychyov discussed the losses at a briefing, saying that the hackers had attempted to steal about 5 billion rubles.

Sychyov was commenting on a central bank report released earlier in the day, that told about hackers breaking into accounts there by faking a client's credentials. The bank provided few other details in its lengthy report.

Financial regulators around the world have recently urged banks to beef up cyber security in the wake of a string of high-profile heists on banks around the world.

Fears about attacks on banks have mounted since February when unknown cyber criminals stole $81 million in funds that Bangladesh's central bank had on deposit at the New York Fed. Law enforcement agencies around the globe are hunting for the criminals who stole the money using fraudulent wire-transfer requests sent over the SWIFT bank messaging network.

Separately, Russia said on Friday that it had uncovered a plot by foreign spy agencies to sow chaos in the country's banking system via a coordinated wave of cyber attacks and fake social media reports about banks going bust. </s> Police in Spain have captured a cybercrime gang made up of Ukrainians and Russians that allegedly stole more than 1 billion euros ($1.24 billion) from financial institutions worldwide in a five-year spree, authorities said Monday.

The gang's alleged mastermind, identified as a Ukrainian and named only as "Denis K.," was arrested in the coastal city of Alicante, 350 kilometers (220 miles) southeast of Madrid, according to statements issued by Spanish police and European Union law enforcement agency Europol.

Three suspected accomplices, said to be Russian and Ukrainian, were also arrested. Authorities didn't say when the arrests took place.

The gang used malware to target more than 100 financial institutions worldwide, sometimes stealing up to 10 million euros in each heist. Almost all of Russia's banks were targeted, and about 50 of them lost money in the attacks, authorities said.

The gang sent phishing emails with a malicious attachment to bank workers, Europol said. The software gave the gang remote control of infected machines, providing them with access to the internal banking network and infecting servers controlling ATMs.

ATMs were instructed to dispense cash at a pre-determined time, and the money was collected by organized crime groups supporting the main gang.

The gang converted its illicit gains into bitcoins and used the cryptocurrency to purchase assets, including houses and vehicles, in Spain. </s> The US Justice Department announced that alleged Russian hacker Roman Seleznev, sentenced to 27 years in US prison, has pled guilty to cashing out more than $2 million with five hacked debit card numbers in 2008.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Alleged Russian hacker Roman Seleznev, sentenced to 27 years in US prison, has pled guilty to cashing out more than $2 million with five hacked debit card numbers in 2008, the US Justice Department announced in a release on Friday.

"Roman Seleznev has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud for his role in the 2008 hack of RBS Worldpay," the release said. "Seleznev was responsible for cashing out $2,178,349 associated with five hacked debit card numbers."

In 2008, a team of hackers stole more than $9 million from over 2,100 ATMs in at least 280 cities globally, including in the United States, Russia, Ukraine, Estonia, Italy, Hong Kong, Japan and Canada, according to the release.

The US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia has charged 14 individuals involved in the hack and cashout, including Russian nationals Viktor Pleschuk, Evgeniy Anikin, and Roman Seleznev.

Seleznev was convicted in August 2016 of 38 counts of hacking crimes. He was accused of defrauding small business and financial institutions in the United States of more than $169 million. In April, Seleznev was sentenced to 27 years in prison on those charges.

Seleznev was arrested by CIA agents in the Maldives and brought to the United States. The Russian Foreign Ministry and his father, a Russian lawmaker, said this was illegal and equalled a kidnapping. </s> AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Spanish police have arrested the suspected leader of a gang of cyber criminals who stole up 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) from banks by altering account balances and instructing automatic teller machines to issue cash, Europol said on Monday.

The person suspected of being behind malware attacks known as “Carbanak” and “Cobalt” was arrested in Alicante, a port city on the south east coast of Spain, after cooperation between police forces in the United States, Asia and Europe, Europol said.

The Interior Ministry said ‘Denis K.’, who had directed the criminal organization from Spain since 2013, was arrested with three members of his organization, who originally came from Russia and Ukraine, it said.

The Ukrainian police did not provide further details.

Europol said the group had operated since 2013, with members in 40 countries, carrying out attacks on 100 financial institutions. They targeted bank employees with emails infecting their computers and then using them as a base to gain control of bank network and servers.

“With that level of access, the nefarious individuals authorize fraudulent bank transfers, raise the balances of mule accounts or command affected ATMs to spit out the money for them,” Europol said.

Europol, said the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Romanian, Belarussian and Taiwanese authorities, and private cyber security companies were assisting in the case.

The Interior Ministry said that during the raid in Alicante police seized jewels worth 500,000 euros and two luxury cars. It also blocked bank accounts and two homes valued at about 1 million euros.

The organization needed the support of other criminal groups to coordinate the work of the ‘mules’ they used to extract money from cash points that they attacked, it said. Until 2015 they used the Russian mafia for this, and after 2016 the Moldovan mafia.

Their earnings were converted into bitcoins at exchange houses in Russia and Ukraine. These were later transferred to their accounts and they accumulated about 15,000 bitcoin, Interior Ministry said.

Denis K used financial platforms in Gibraltar and the United Kingdom to load prepaid cards with bitcoin and spend them in Spain on cars, homes, and other goods.

He also set up an “enormous network” to mine bitcoins which he used as a means of laundering money. </s> WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Alleged Russian hacker Roman Seleznev, sentenced to 27 years in US prison, has pled guilty to cashing out more than $2 million with five hacked debit card numbers in 2008, the US Justice Department announced in a release on Friday.

"Roman Seleznev has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud for his role in the 2008 hack of RBS Worldpay," the release said. "Seleznev was responsible for cashing out $2,178,349 associated with five hacked debit card numbers."

Seleznev was arrested by CIA agents in the Maldives and brought to the United States. The Russian Foreign Ministry and his father, a Russian lawmaker, said this was illegal and equaled a kidnapping. </s> The individual, a Ukrainian national identified only as Denis K., was detained in the coastal city of Alicante with three accomplices, Spain's Interior Ministry said Monday.

According to Europol, the syndicate stole more than €1 billion ($1.24 billion) in a five-year spree by attacking over 100 financial institutions with malicious software. Authorities said almost all of Russia's banks were targeted.

Denis K. had allegedly directed the international cybercriminal gang from Spain since 2013.

Read more: Greece says hackers hit banks with bitcoin ransom demand

How they stole the money

The syndicate sent phishing emails to bank employees with attachments containing software known as "Carbanak" and "Cobalt." Once an email was opened, the software installed itself on the bank's server, allowing the hackers to gain control of bank accounts and automatic teller machines.

"With that level of access, the nefarious individuals authorize fraudulent bank transfers, raise the balances of mule accounts or command affected ATMs to spit out the money for them," Europol said.

"The Cobalt malware alone allowed criminals to steal up to €10 million per heist," the pan-European police body added.

Read more: Cybercrime laws as a weapon against expression

The syndicate's earnings were converted into bitcoins at exchange houses in Ukraine and Russia before being transferred to their accounts, Spain's Interior Ministry said.

Denis K. reportedly used financial platforms in Gibraltar and the UK to load prepaid cards with bitcoin and spend them in Spain on cars, homes and other goods.

Read more: Cybercrime just tip of iceberg in organized criminality, study finds

The criminal investigation was led by Spanish police, with assistance from various software companies, as well as law enforcement authorities in the United States, Romania, Belarus and Taiwan.

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The Russian Central Bank says hackers, who were attempting to steal about 5 billion rubles, did take more than 2 billion ($31 million) this year from member bank accounts.