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Firms lose 9m Brits' details in one year
CARELESS: Lax companies leave millions at risk of fraud
BUNGLING banks and finance companies lost the personal details of more than NINE MILLION customers last year.
But, astonishingly, crazy "security" rules mean the authorities REFUSE to name the guilty firms.
A News of the World investigation found 54 incidents where blundering moneymen MISLAID secret info or allowed it to be STOLEN-leaving victims exposed to fraud.
The string of cock-ups-more than one a week-reported to City watchdog the Financial Services Authority-includes THEFT of tapes holding details of 3.3 million people, LOST recordings of 300,000 sensitive phone conversations, and an entire filing cabinet of customer records SNATCHED from a lax bank.
Ironically the FSA would not identify the bunglers, bizarrely claiming it is "confidential information".
The move was last night attacked by security experts who insist the public has a right to know.
David Whitelegg of IT Security Expert said: "Keeping these breaches secret is a dangerous approach as it prevents public discussion and raising of security awareness.
"As a result other firms don't learn the lessons so continue to run unnecessary risks with customers' information."
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This article has 1 comment
My daughter never buys online or uses her card instore ,preffering to pay cash for everything. Yet someone managed to WITHDRAW EVERY PENNY IN ANOTHER BRANCH WITH NO ID, A MISSPELT SURNAME AND NO SECURITY QUESTIONS ASKED,SHOP ONLINE,PAY GOVERNMENT BILLS AND PARKING TICKETS AND CREATE AN OVERDRAFT. This happened 2 days after her wages went into her account. She was then investigated by the FRAUD SQUAD and TREAT LIKE A CRIMINAL for OVER A MONTH ! She has had NO EXPLANATION OR APOLOGY and would have starved if it weren't for friends and family. SHAME ON YOU ABBEY NATIONAL !
By Mum.. Posted January 11 2009 at 7:52 PM.