Hackers Drain Jewelers' Shopify Account

(IDEX Online) - A home-based jewelry business has been forced to halt online sales after hackers drained its Shopify account, leaving a balance of just 18 cents.

Co-owners Amanda Stevenson and Cassandra Rose Cooper were shocked to discover the attack on Southwest Statements, which sells items by local Native American artists in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.

They've been unable to restock or ship goods as a result and have decided to try "live sales" on Instagram instead.

The pair built their business on Shopify, the software platform behind many online stores, which operates its own payments system.

But they found hackers had managed to access their account and had stolen as much as $4,000 in a series of hundreds of small ($2 or less) transactions. There was just 18 cents left in their account.

"This is not uncommon. This happens to small businesses all the time," Cooper told local NBC news channel KOB 4. "And you know, no matter what the range is, it hurts. It hurts, and it's like a big, a big kick in the stomach."

Hackers are increasingly targeting small businesses using "micro-transactions" of $1 to $2 to test stolen cards or drain balances undetected.

In many cases they gain access via weak passwords, phishing, or 2FA bypasses, then alter payout details.

Pic from Southwest Statements' Instagram account, shows Amanda Stevenson and Cassandra Rose Cooper.