- NCA arrests four people suspected of having participated in recent attacks
- M&S, Co-Op and Harrods hit by cyberattacks
- Arrested group is accused of organized crime, money laundering and more
The British National Crime Agency (NCA) has arrested four people suspected of participating in recent cyber attacks against M&S, Co-Op and Harrods.
A press release from NCA said police arrested two 19-year-old men, a 17-year-old and a 20-year-old woman in West Midlands and London, all of whom had seized their electronic equipment.
They are suspected of offenses of the computer, as well as extortion, money laundering and participation in the activities of an organized crime group.
Dragonforce
“Since these attacks took place, specialist NCA Cybercrime -investigators have been working in PACE, and the investigation is still one of the agency’s highest priorities,” commented Deputy Director Paul Foster, head of NCA’s national cyber crime unit. “Today’s arrests are a significant step in this investigation, but our work continues with partners in the UK and abroad to ensure that those responsible are identified and brought to justice.”
At the end of April and early May 2025, three major British retailers, M&S, Co-Op and Harrods, all major cyberattacks.
Hit on brands and Spencer affected stores nationwide and resulted in “small changes” to save operations to protect customers “and the company.” The dealer confirmed clicks and collection services were affected by technical problems as a result and some stores were unable to process contactless payments.
Co-op suffered differently as threat actors (who named themselves “Dragonforce”) went away with a fierce archive of sensitive company data, including customer information.
“This data includes CO-OP group members’ personal data such as names and contact information and did not include members’ passwords, banking or credit card information, transactions or information relating to members’ or customer products or services with the CO-OP group,” the company said at the time.
“Cyber attacks can be extremely disruptive to businesses, and I would like to thank M&S, Co-Op and Harrods for their support for our investigations. Hopefully this signals to future victims are the importance of seeking support and engaging in law enforcement as part of the reporting process.
