Foreign exchange broker FXCM hit by hackers

A internal investigation is being launched into the attack with the help of a cyber security firm

Hackers managed to make a small number of transfers from FXCM current accounts (Adam Berry/Getty Images)

FXCM, a New York-based foreign exchange broker, has been hit by who managed to make ‘a small number’ of wire transfers from current accounts.

FXCM said on Thursday that all funds had been returned to those affected. A internal investigation is being launched into the attack with the help of a cyber security firm. The FBI has also launched a probe, the Wall Street Journal has reported.

FXCM was warned of the attack someone claiming to be a hacker, who said it had access to customer information. The broker said it had advised customers to reset their passwords but that the attack had not otherwise interrupted trading.

The firm refused to comment on whether this was the first attack of its kind on the firm, however experts say they are increasingly common. Some brokers have adopted a two-step identification method to try and stop the attacks, according to Thomas Peterffy, chief executive of Interactive Brokers Group Inc.

Some hackers try to slow down the speed of the messaging system, which is key for a broker, by bombarding the system with messages. “They bombard you...We don’t know whether messages are real or not,” Mr. Peterffy told the Wall Street Journal.