Latest news with #identity theft
CNET
09-07-2025
- Business
- CNET
Qantas Contacted by Hackers Responsible for Data Breach Affecting Millions of Customers
Qantas disclosed a cybersecurity incident on July 2 potentially affecting 6 million has been contacted by a cyber criminal claiming responsibility for the data breach that affected 6 million customers. A company spokesperson confirmed Qantas is working to validate this, adding that since it's a criminal matter, "we won't be commenting any further on the detail of the contact." There's also no evidence that any of the stolen information has been released, the company said in an email. Bad actors gained access to customers' names, email addresses, phone numbers, birthdates and frequent flyer numbers via a third-party platform used by a Qantas call center. In the wrong hands, this data could lead to phishing attacks and eventually identity theft or fraud. Credit card details, personal financial information and passport details are not held in the breached system, according to Qantas. "We sincerely apologise to our customers and we recognise the uncertainty this will cause." CEO Vanessa Hudson said in a statement. "We are contacting our customers today and our focus is on providing them with the necessary support." Qantas is Australia's largest airline, with frequent international flights serving Europe, Asia and the US. Qantas is working with local Australian authorities and specialized cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident detected on June 30. Customers can contact Qantas dedicated support line on 1800-971-541 or +61 2 8028 0534. Qantas did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment. What if I was affected by this breach? Qantas is continuing to investigate the full impact of this breach, though it says it expects the amount of data stolen to be "significant." For now, we know that some personal information, including names, email addresses and phone numbers have been stolen. Because of this, you should be wary of phishing attacks aimed at tricking you into coughing up more of your data or scamming you out of your money. As Qantas contacts impacted customers, it may offer free identity theft and credit monitoring tools. My advice is to take advantage of this. Coverage tends to last for 12 months, and offers a good way to keep a pulse on your identity online. You can also sign up for identity theft protection on your own after the offer expires. In the meantime, look over your credit reports for signs of identity theft, including suspicious accounts you did not open.
Al Arabiya
20-06-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Aflac Finds Suspicious Activity on US Network That May Impact Social Security Numbers, Other Data
Aflac says that it has identified suspicious activity on its network in the US that may impact Social Security numbers and other personal information, calling the incident part of a cybercrime campaign against the insurance industry. The company said Friday that the intrusion was stopped within hours. 'We continue to serve our customers as we respond to this incident and can underwrite policies, review claims, and otherwise service our customers as usual,' Aflac said in a statement. The company said that it's in the early stages of a review of the incident and, so far, is unable to determine the total number of affected individuals. Aflac Inc. said potentially impacted files contain claims information, health information, Social Security numbers, and other personal information related to customers, beneficiaries, employees, agents, and other individuals in its US business. The Columbus, Georgia, company said that it will offer free credit monitoring and identity theft protection and Medical Shield for 24 months to anyone that calls its call center. Cyberattacks against companies have been rampant for years, but a string of attacks on retail companies have raised awareness of the issue because the breaches can impact customers. United Natural Foods, a wholesale distributor that supplies Whole Foods and other grocers, said earlier this month that a breach of its systems was disrupting its ability to fulfill orders – leaving many stores without certain items. In the UK, consumers could not order from the website of Marks & Spencer for more than six weeks – and found fewer in-store options after hackers targeted the British clothing, home goods, and food retailer. A cyberattack on Co-op, a UK grocery chain, also led to empty shelves in some stores. A security breach detected by Victoria's Secret last month led the popular lingerie seller to shut down its US shopping site for nearly four days, as well as to halt some in-store services. Victoria's Secret later disclosed that its corporate systems also were affected, causing the company to delay the release of its first-quarter earnings. The North Face said that it discovered a small-scale credential stuffing attack on its website in April. The company reported that no credit card data was compromised and said the incident, which impacted 1,500 consumers, was quickly contained. Adidas disclosed last month that an unauthorized external party obtained some data, which was mostly contact information, through a third-party customer service provider.
The Independent
20-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Aflac finds suspicious activity on US network that may impact Social Security numbers, other data
Aflac says that it has identified suspicious activity on its network in the U.S. that may impact Social Security numbers and other personal information, calling the incident part of a cybercrime campaign against the insurance industry. The company said Friday that the intrusion was stopped within hours. 'We continue to serve our customers as we respond to this incident and can underwrite policies, review claims, and otherwise service our customers as usual,' Aflac said in a statement. The company said that it's in the early stages of a review of the incident, and so far is unable to determine the total number of affected individuals. Aflac Inc. said potentially impacted files contain claims information, health information, Social Security numbers, and other personal information, related to customers, beneficiaries, employees, agents, and other individuals in its U.S. business. The Columbus, Georgia, company said that it will offer free credit monitoring and identity theft protection and Medical Shield for 24 months to anyone that calls its call center. Cyberattacks against companies have been rampant for years, but a string of attacks on retail companies have raised awareness of the issue because the breaches can impact customers. United Natural Foods, a wholesale distributor that supplies Whole Foods and other grocers, said earlier this month that a breach of its systems was disrupting its ability to fulfill orders — leaving many stores without certain items. In the U.K., consumers could not order from the website of Marks & Spencer for more than six weeks — and found fewer in-store options after hackers targeted the British clothing, home goods and food retailer. A cyberattack on Co-op, a U.K. grocery chain, also led to empty shelves in some stores. A security breach detected by Victoria's Secret last month led the popular lingerie seller to shut down its U.S. shopping site for nearly four days, as well as to halt some in-store services. Victoria's Secret later disclosed that its corporate systems also were affected, too, causing the company to delay the release of its first quarter earnings. The North Face said that it discovered a 'small-scale credential stuffing attack' on its website in April. The company reported that no credit card data was compromised and said the incident, which impacted 1,500 consumers, was 'quickly contained.' Adidas disclosed last month that an 'unauthorized external party' obtained some data, which was mostly contact information, through a third-party customer service provider.
Associated Press
20-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Aflac finds suspicious activity on US network that may impact Social Security numbers, other data
Aflac says that it has identified suspicious activity on its network in the U.S. that may impact Social Security numbers and other personal information, calling the incident part of a cybercrime campaign against the insurance industry. The company said Friday that the intrusion was stopped within hours. 'We continue to serve our customers as we respond to this incident and can underwrite policies, review claims, and otherwise service our customers as usual,' Aflac said in a statement. The company said that it's in the early stages of a review of the incident, and so far is unable to determine the total number of affected individuals. Aflac Inc. said potentially impacted files contain claims information, health information, Social Security numbers, and other personal information, related to customers, beneficiaries, employees, agents, and other individuals in its U.S. business. The Columbus, Georgia-based company said that it will offer free credit monitoring and identity theft protection and Medical Shield for 24 months to anyone that calls its call center. Aflac is not the only company to deal with an incident recently. A string of recent cyberattacks and data breaches involving the systems of major retailers have started affecting shoppers. United Natural Foods, a wholesale distributor that supplies Whole Foods and other grocers, said earlier this month that a breach of its systems was disrupting its ability to fulfill orders — leaving many stores without certain items. In the U.K., consumers could not order from the website of Marks & Spencer for more than six weeks — and found fewer in-store options after hackers targeted the British clothing, home goods and food retailer. A cyberattack on Co-op, a U.K. grocery chain, also led to empty shelves in some stores. A security breach detected by Victoria's Secret last month led the popular lingerie seller to shut down its U.S. shopping site for nearly four days, as well as to halt some in-store services. Victoria's Secret later disclosed that its corporate systems also were affected, too, causing the company to delay the release of its first quarter earnings. The North Face said that it discovered a 'small-scale credential stuffing attack' on its website in April. The company reported that no credit card data was compromised and said the incident, which impacted 1,500 consumers, was 'quickly contained.' Meanwhile, Adidas disclosed last month that an 'unauthorized external party' obtained some data, which was mostly contact information, through a third-party customer service provider.
CTV News
29-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Thieves gain access to about 140,000 social insurance numbers in NS Power database
Peter Gregg, CEO of Nova Scotia Power, makes an appearance before the Nova Scotia legislature's law amendments committee in Halifax on Monday, Oct. 31, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Keith Doucette HALIFAX — Nova Scotia Power's CEO says up to 140,000 social insurance numbers could have been stolen by cyber-thieves who recently hacked into the utility's customer records. Peter Gregg said in an interview today that the privately owned utility collected the numbers from customers to authenticate their identities. He says social insurance numbers were in about half of the 280,000 customer records breached by cyber-criminals and released onto the dark web. The breach was first reported in late April. Cybersecurity expert Claudiu Popa says it's worth asking why the company would need this kind of personal information. The founder of the non-profit group KnowledgeFlow says there are less risky ways of identifying customers. The federal government's website says each nine-digit number represents a unique identifier for work applications and government records, and it advises people not to share the number unless it's legally required. Thieves can use the number to commit fraud, such as illegally accessing government benefits and tax refunds. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2025.
