Point72, Citadel among hedge funds hit by AI vishing attacks

Point72, Citadel among hedge funds hit by AI vishing attacks
Citadel CEO Ken Griffin. Photo by: Paul Elledge, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Hackers used AI voice cloning to target Point72, Citadel, Millennium and other major money managers on Wall Street.
AUG 05, 2026

Point72 Asset Management, Millennium Management, Two Sigma Investments, and Citadel were all targeted in a coordinated wave of cyberattacks in recent days, with attackers using AI-powered voice phishing to attempt to extract sensitive data from employees of the Wall Street money managers. 

According to a Bloomberg report on Wednesday, Point72 informed investors it had been attacked, though the firm's initial review found no client information was stolen. The firm told investors it was still reviewing the incident. Spokespeople for Millennium, Point72, and Citadel declined to comment to Bloomberg. Two Sigma, which manages $75 billion in assets, told Bloomberg it successfully blocked the attempt. The voice fraud is known as "vishing" in cybersecurity terms.

"Our security team responded quickly to an attempted vishing campaign targeting Two Sigma and other investment managers, and we have no indication of any impact to our data or our systems," a Two Sigma spokesperson said in a statement. "We continue to monitor the situation closely."

Vishing attacks use technology to clone or mimic voices in phone calls, tricking employees into surrendering credentials or granting system access. FINRA has been in contact with member firms about the attempted breaches, according to a person with knowledge of the matter cited by Bloomberg. The regulator launched its Financial Intelligence Fusion Center in March 2026, a secure portal designed to help member firms share fraud threat intelligence and coordinate responses.

Several private equity firms were also targeted as part of the same assault, Bloomberg reported.

AI lowers the cost of attack

The incidents reflect a broader shift in the threat landscape confronting financial services firms. Vinod Paul, president of Align Managed Services, a cybersecurity and IT firm specializing in hedge fund clients, told Bloomberg that AI tools have dramatically lowered the barrier to launching large-scale targeted attacks. "Before they could attack 50 entities in a targeted attack, now they can do 1,000," Paul said. "Hackers can also listen into a phone call and mimic the voice, tone and phrasings of the speakers to create fake calls."

Will Wilson, chief executive of Antithesis — a software firm backed by Jane Street — told Bloomberg the AI has restructured cyber attacks. "The terrifying thing about modern-day AI systems is that they have commoditized this and made it possible to execute attacks at scale," Wilson said. "Everybody will have to seriously level up. Otherwise they are going to be in big trouble."

In June 2026, Google's cybersecurity unit published a blog post flagging a similar vishing wave targeting law firms and professional services companies, in some cases involving individuals who physically entered corporate offices posing as IT workers. The recent attack on hedge funds unfolded as US authorities were also working to contain separate cyberattacks on water systems in several states, though officials have not confirmed any connection between the two.

The attacks add to a string of cybersecurity incidents hitting wealth management and financial advice firms this year. Cyberattacks on RIAs have accelerated throughout 2026 with AI-powered social engineering targeting advisory firms of all sizes. Mega-RIA Mariner recently disclosed a cloud breach impacting nearly 9,000 individuals, and Mercer has faced class action litigation following a separate breach linked to the ShinyHunters attack group earlier this year. Firms targeted in cyber attacks this year have also included Hightower Advisors, Edelman Financial Engines, Beacon Pointe, CW Advisors, Betterment, Pathstone, EP Wealth, Cetera and Ameriprise. 

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