Russian banks are not immune from hackers hoping to line their pockets with stolen loot.

The Russian media has announced that for all of 2016, hackers have made off with an estimated 2 billion rubles -- equivalent to $31 million -- from accounts held at the Russian Central Bank.

According to central bank security executive Artiom Sychev, hackers have tried to steal 5 billion rubles but were thwarted in their efforts.

"We were lucky to return some of money," said a central bank spokesperson.

Officials did not disclose how the money was moved, but there are similarities to other bank heists worldwide. Most of those hacks involved getting the code for Swift, the worldwide interbank communication network that settles transactions.

Symantec researchers have postulated that the attack on worldwide banks is thought to be the result of one group, dubbed "Lazarus", that has been linked to North Korea.

The FSB, Russian's top law enforcement agency, is claiming that hackers are using a collection of computer servers in the Netherlands to attack Russian banks. The FSB is claiming that the hackers are sending text messages and publishing stories on social media that are intended to spread distrust of the countries banking system.

Source: CNN