MoneyGram Services, one of the world’s largest money transfer services, recently experienced a significant multiday outage, which it has now attributed to a cybersecurity issue. In a statement released on Sept. 23 via X (formerly Twitter), the company confirmed that it had identified the issue, which impacted certain systems, leading to service disruptions that left customers unable to access their services.
The service outage was first noticed by users on Sept. 20, with many flocking to service tracking sites like DownDetector to report the issue. Hundreds of users reported disruptions in the 24 hours leading up to the company’s official announcement. MoneyGram confirmed it took certain systems offline as a precautionary measure to protect its network from further damage.
As soon as the cybersecurity threat was detected, MoneyGram quickly launched an investigation, working closely with law enforcement and external cybersecurity experts. The company took proactive measures, including shutting down parts of its system to prevent further compromise. However, these measures had the unfortunate side effect of cutting off access to MoneyGram’s services, affecting users globally.
By Sept. 24, MoneyGram had made progress in restoring some of its key systems. In an X post, the company assured users that it was working "around the clock" to resolve the issue and restore full services. Pending transactions will be available once the systems are back online, but the company has not yet provided a timeline for when full functionality will be restored.
Although MoneyGram confirmed the cybersecurity breach, it has not provided specific details about which systems were affected or whether sensitive customer data was compromised. The company has reassured customers that they are working tirelessly to restore services, but the lack of details leaves many questions unanswered.
This incident highlights the growing threat of cyberattacks targeting financial services. It comes amid a rise in crypto-related ransomware attacks in 2024, with a notable increase of nearly 96% compared to the previous year. While MoneyGram has made strides in integrating cryptocurrency services, the cyber threat remains a significant challenge.
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