Thursday January 24, 7:48 am ET
Societe Generale Uncovers Massive Fraud by Futures Trader
PARIS (AP) -- Societe Generale uncovered a $7.14 billion fraud -- one of history's biggest -- by a single futures trader who orchestrated a series of bogus transactions that spiraled out of control amid roiling markets this week, the French bank said Thursday.
Executives said the trader, a French man in his 30s, acted alone. CEO Daniel Bouton said the trader's motivations were "irrational" and that he may not have benefited directly from the fraudulent deals.
The bombshell announcement destabilized a major bank already heavily exposed to the subprime crisis and rattled the global banking sector. France's second largest bank said it will seek 5.5 billion euros ($8.02 billion) in new capital.
