A ransomware attack on Patelco Credit Union in the Bay Area has disrupted banking services for nearly half a million members, with the outage potentially lasting for weeks.

The credit union announced the attack on June 29 through Twitter. Affected services include online banking, the mobile app, direct deposits, transfers, debit and credit card transactions, Zelle, balance inquiries, online bill payments, and monthly statements.

Besides consumer banking, Patelco Credit Union also provides mortgage origination, home equity lines of credit, and mortgage refinancing. Headquartered in Dublin, California, the credit union serves the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California.

On Wednesday, Patelco CEO Erin Mendez issued a statement confirming that their cybersecurity team has validated the "core systems" and assured members that their funds are "safe and secure." However, she noted that the systems would not be operational by the weekend.

“I understand this situation continues to frustrate our members and that many have questions,” Mendez said. She added that any fees resulting from the outage would be waived. “We are aware of your concerns and are working tirelessly to resolve them. Our team is fully dedicated to supporting our members during this challenging time.”

According to The Mercury News, hackers accessed the bank’s internal databases via a phishing email, encrypting the contents and locking the bank out of its systems.

Patelco, a nonprofit cooperative with $9 billion in assets, has been providing daily updates since the attack but has not provided a specific timeline for when services will be fully restored. They have also cautioned that further outages may occur.

Currently, members can still perform check and cash deposits, ATM withdrawals, ACH transfers, ACH bill payments, and in-branch loan payments.