Cyber crime has always been a threat for all those using the internet for online transactions. It has however been getting all the more deadly with hackers using innovative tricks to intrude into the private data bank of unsuspecting users. Vodafone has become the latest victim. The hackers have reportedly broke into around 2,000 customer accounts and have gained access to their bank details viz., the customer-names, mobile numbers, bank sort codes and the last four digits of their bank accounts. These accounts are now susceptible to misuse by fraudsters.
Incidentally, this is the second major attack on a UK telecommunications group in weeks. A Vodafone spokesman said that the incident was driven by ‘criminals using email addresses and passwords acquired from an unknown source external to Vodafone’. He further claimed that the systems were not compromised or breached in anyway. While the Company admitted that a total of 1,827 accounts were targeted, it insisted that the debit and credit card information was not accessed and that the hackers would not be gaining direct access to victim’s bank accounts.
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Vodafone acted promptly for damage control and quickly alerted the affected customers. While claiming that the attacks were from other sources ‘external to Vodafone’, it assured all its customers about its own security protocols, which were never breached. The Company Spokesman further explained: “Our investigation and mitigating actions have meant that only a handful of customers have been subject to any attempts to use this data for fraudulent activity on their Vodafone accounts. However, this information does leave these 1,827 customers open to fraud and might also leave them open to phishing attempts. These customers’ accounts have been blocked and affected customers are being contacted directly to assist them with changing their account details.”
Compiler : Syed Zafar Ahmad
Designation: Executive Editor & Compilor
Bio: A freelancer with a flair for experimenting with innovative technology and electronic gadgets that could enrich the life of a modern common man, and a consultant in issues touching every-day life of a computer suave professional.
Bio: A freelancer with a flair for experimenting with innovative technology and electronic gadgets that could enrich the life of a modern common man, and a consultant in issues touching every-day life of a computer suave professional.
