Big heist: Bangladesh's central bank confirmed that cybercriminals tried to withdraw US$951mil (RM3.9bil) from its US bank account.
DHAKA/NEW YORK: When the Federal Reserve Bank of New York cleared five transactions made by the Bangladesh Bank hackers, the money went in two directions. On Thursday, Feb 4, the Fed's system sent US$20mil (RM81.25mil) to Sri Lanka and US$81mil (RM329.06mil) to the Philippines.
The Sri Lankan transaction contained a small but crucial error: The money was being sent to a bank account in the name of a nonprofit foundation, but the electronic message spelled it "fundation." That prompted Deutsche Bank, an intermediary in the transaction, and a Sri Lankan bank to contact Bangladesh Bank, which led to the payment being cancelled and the money returned.
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