Hacker stole £700,000 from UK energy company by redirecting payment

In Brief Posted: 8:31 AM PDT · April 9, 2026 Image Credits:Jon G. Fuller/VWPics/Universal Images Group / Getty Images Zack Whittaker Hacker stole £700,000 from UK energy company by redirecting payment British oil and gas company Zephyr Energy says someone stole £700,000 (close to $1 million) from one of its U.S.-based subsidiaries by redirecting a payment meant for a contractor into a hacker-controlled account. In a regulatory filing with the London Stock Exchange on Thursday, the company said it is “working with the corresponding banks and consultants to attempt to recover the diverted funds.” While the company did not say how the incident occurred, hackers are known to break into email inboxes or accounting systems and use that access to alter bank account and routing numbers during the process of paying someone or clearing an invoice. Known as business email compromise attacks, the FBI said in its most recent annual report published on internet cybercrime earlier in April that these attacks remain one of the top sources of financial losses, totaling more than $3 billion in victim losses during 2025. Zephyr says that its incident is contained and that its operations are running normally. As for the attack itself, the company said it used “industry standard practices” for its tech and payment platforms, but said it has implemented “additional layers of security” following the incident. A spokesperson for Zephyr did not return an email requesting comment about the incident. (via The Register) Topics business email compromise, cyberattack, energy, In Brief, Security April 30 San Francisco, CA StrictlyVC kicks off the year in SF. Get in the room for unfiltered fireside chats with industry leaders, insider VC insights, and high-value connections that actually move the needle. Tickets are limited. REGISTER NOW Newsletters See More Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news TechCrunch Daily News Every weekday and Sunday, you can get the best of TechCrunch’s coverage. TechCrunch Mobility TechCrunch Mobility is your destination for transportation news and insight.

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