Japan’s financial regulator reported a surge in unauthorized stock market trades in April, with hackers moving nearly $2 billion through breached accounts. The majority of these fraudulent transactions involved account hacking used to manipulate stock prices and profit from inflated securities. (Affected: Japanese securities firms and online trading platforms)
Keypoints :
- In April 2025, Japan’s Financial Services Agency reported almost $2 billion in unauthorized stock trades by hackers.
- Nine securities firms disclosed 2,746 fraudulent transactions across nearly 5,000 breached accounts in April alone.
- Hackers primarily gain access through stolen login credentials, using accounts to buy and sell securities fraudulently.
- The total fraudulent transactions in April involved sales totaling over $1 billion and about $902 billion in securities purchased.
- The hackers manipulate smaller stocks by artificially increasing their prices before selling for profit.
- Earlier in 2025, 12 securities firms reported fraudulent activity earlier in the year, with combined sales of approximately $350 million.
- Cybersecurity experts have noted a rise in phishing campaigns and sophisticated hacking tools, including AI-driven phishing emails used by Chinese cybercriminal groups.
Read More: https://therecord.media/hackers-hijack-japan-finance-accounts
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