Menu
06/11/2015
157,000 Customers Affected By TalkTalk Hack
Almost 157,000 TalkTalk customers are thought to have been affected by a cyber-attack on the company's website last month. Initially, it was thought all customers had been affected, but this figure was later reduced to 1.2 million customers whose contact details had been accessed by the hackers.
However, in an updated statement on its website today, 6 November, the company said the total number of customers who had their personal details accessed is 156,959. Of these customers, 15,656 back account numbers and sort codes were accessed. Furthermore, TalkTalk siad that the 28,000 "obscured" credit and debit card numbers that had been stolen "cannot be used for financial transactions", adding that they were "orphaned" - i.e. customers cannot be identified by the stolen data.
TalkTalk has said its investigations, as well as those by the Metropolitan Police, into the cyber attack on 21 October are continuing. An ongoing forensic analysis of the site found that the scale of the attack was "much more limited than initially suspected", with just 4% of TalkTalk customers believed to have sensitive personal data at risk.
In a statement, the firm added: "It was a difficult decision to notify all our customers of the risk before we could establish the real extent of any data loss. We believe we had a responsibility to warn customers ahead of having the clarity we are finally able to give today.
"We have now contacted all customers who have had financial details accessed, reiterating our advice on what to do to keep themselves safe. The financial information accessed cannot on its own lead to financial loss. We will be contacting all other affected customers in the coming days.
"We want to make customers aware that we will not call or otherwise contact them regarding this incident and ask for bank details or other financial or personal information."
Four people have been arrested over the hack so far; a 15-year-old boy from Northern Ireland, a 16-year-old boy from west London, a 20-year-old man from Staffordshire, and a 16-year-old boy in Norwich. All four have been released on bail.
(JP/CD)
However, in an updated statement on its website today, 6 November, the company said the total number of customers who had their personal details accessed is 156,959. Of these customers, 15,656 back account numbers and sort codes were accessed. Furthermore, TalkTalk siad that the 28,000 "obscured" credit and debit card numbers that had been stolen "cannot be used for financial transactions", adding that they were "orphaned" - i.e. customers cannot be identified by the stolen data.
TalkTalk has said its investigations, as well as those by the Metropolitan Police, into the cyber attack on 21 October are continuing. An ongoing forensic analysis of the site found that the scale of the attack was "much more limited than initially suspected", with just 4% of TalkTalk customers believed to have sensitive personal data at risk.
In a statement, the firm added: "It was a difficult decision to notify all our customers of the risk before we could establish the real extent of any data loss. We believe we had a responsibility to warn customers ahead of having the clarity we are finally able to give today.
"We have now contacted all customers who have had financial details accessed, reiterating our advice on what to do to keep themselves safe. The financial information accessed cannot on its own lead to financial loss. We will be contacting all other affected customers in the coming days.
"We want to make customers aware that we will not call or otherwise contact them regarding this incident and ask for bank details or other financial or personal information."
Four people have been arrested over the hack so far; a 15-year-old boy from Northern Ireland, a 16-year-old boy from west London, a 20-year-old man from Staffordshire, and a 16-year-old boy in Norwich. All four have been released on bail.
(JP/CD)
Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.
29 September 2011
TalkTalk Complaints Dominates Ofcom Data
The broadcast and telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has published its latest complaints data revealing the most complained about major telecoms providers between April and June 2011. Ofcom's data shows that from April to June 2011 it received the most complaints about TalkTalk Group with 0.8 complaints per 1,000 customers.
TalkTalk Complaints Dominates Ofcom Data
The broadcast and telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has published its latest complaints data revealing the most complained about major telecoms providers between April and June 2011. Ofcom's data shows that from April to June 2011 it received the most complaints about TalkTalk Group with 0.8 complaints per 1,000 customers.
26 September 2013
Mortgage Customers To Be Compensated For Banks Error
Thousands of mortgage customers of Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank are to be compensated following a ruling that they were treated unfairly. It is understood that the bank miscalculated some 22,000 customers' variable rate home loans, with the customers subsequently paying too little over a four-year period.
Mortgage Customers To Be Compensated For Banks Error
Thousands of mortgage customers of Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank are to be compensated following a ruling that they were treated unfairly. It is understood that the bank miscalculated some 22,000 customers' variable rate home loans, with the customers subsequently paying too little over a four-year period.
07 April 2008
HSBC Loses Customers' Details Disc
The HSBC bank has admitted that a computer disc, containing details of 370,000 customers, has been lost. The disc contains customers' names, dates of birth and levels of life assurance cover. It is understood that the disc went missing four weeks ago after it was sent via courier from the bank's Southampton offices.
HSBC Loses Customers' Details Disc
The HSBC bank has admitted that a computer disc, containing details of 370,000 customers, has been lost. The disc contains customers' names, dates of birth and levels of life assurance cover. It is understood that the disc went missing four weeks ago after it was sent via courier from the bank's Southampton offices.
30 March 2007
Customers warned over TKMaxx credit card scam
Credit card details of millions of customers of US retailer TJX have been stolen by hackers, it has been revealed. Information from around 45.7 million payment cards used by customers of TJX - which owns TJMaxx and UK outlet TKMaxx - were accessed during a period of seventeen months, affecting transactions as far back as December 2002.
Customers warned over TKMaxx credit card scam
Credit card details of millions of customers of US retailer TJX have been stolen by hackers, it has been revealed. Information from around 45.7 million payment cards used by customers of TJX - which owns TJMaxx and UK outlet TKMaxx - were accessed during a period of seventeen months, affecting transactions as far back as December 2002.
02 April 2015
E.On To Pay Additional £7m For Overcharging
E.On, one of the UK's 'Big Six' energy suppliers, is to pay an additional fine of more than £7m for overcharging its customers. The company will have to pay a penalty of £7.75m after incorrectly charging exit fees and/or overcharged its customers, following price increases. The fine is in addition to £400,000 E.
E.On To Pay Additional £7m For Overcharging
E.On, one of the UK's 'Big Six' energy suppliers, is to pay an additional fine of more than £7m for overcharging its customers. The company will have to pay a penalty of £7.75m after incorrectly charging exit fees and/or overcharged its customers, following price increases. The fine is in addition to £400,000 E.
-
Northern Ireland WeatherThis Evening and Tonight:Dry with some late sunshine to end the day. Clear spells through the first part of the night but low cloud feeding in from the north later giving some mist or fog patches. Minimum temperature 8 °C.
