- NCA arrest four suspected people to participate in recent attacks
- M&S, CO-OP and Harrods, all beaten by cyber attacks
- The arrested group is accused of organized crimes, money laundering and more
The National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom (NCA) arrested four people suspected of participating in recent cyber attacks against M&S, CO-OP and Harrods.
An NCA press release said the police arrested two 19 -year -old men, a 17 -year -old girl and a 20 -year -old woman in West Midlands and London, all of whom her electronic team were seized.
They are suspicious of crimes of the Law of Useful Computer Use, as well as blackmail, money laundering and participating in the activities of a group of organized crimes.
Dragonforce
“Since these attacks were carried out, specialized investigators of cyber crimes of the NCA have been working in PACE and the investigation remains one of the highest priorities of the agency,” said Deputy Director Paul Foster, head of the National Cyber Crime Unit of the NCA. “Today’s arrests are a significant step in that investigation, but our work continues, together with partners in the United Kingdom and abroad, to ensure that those responsible are identified and taken before justice.”
At the end of April and early 2025, three main retailers from the United Kingdom, M&S, CO-OP and Harrods suffered great cyber attacks.
The success in Marks and Spencer affected stores throughout the country, and resulted in “small changes” to store operations to protect customers “and business.” The retailer confirmed that the click and collection services were affected by technical problems as a result, and some stores could not process the contactless payments.
The cooperative suffered differently, since the threat actors (which called themselves “dragonforce”) left with a considerable file of confidential data of the company, including customer information.
“These data include personal data of the members of the cooperative group, such as names and contact data, and did not include the passwords of the members, the details of the bank or the credit card, the transactions or the information related to the products or services of the clients or customers with the cooperative group,” the company said at that time.
“Cyber attacks can be very harmful to companies and I would like to thank M&S, CO-OP and Harrods for their support for our investigations. Hopefully this will tell future victims the importance of seeking support and participating in compliance with the law as part of the report process. The NCA and the police are here to help.”
