Vodafone UK targeted in cyber attack

Vodafone UK announced Saturday that the mobile phone company was targeted by hackers, who gained access to 1,827 customers' private data.

"We can confirm that Vodafone UK was subject to an attempt to access some customers' account details between midnight of Wednesday 28 October and midday on Thursday 29 October," said Vodafone UK in a statement.

"At that point we initiated a comprehensive investigation to fully understand the facts so that we could give any affected customers the best possible advice," the statement added.

'Open to fraud'

According to the mobile phone company, the hackers may have gained access to customers' sort codes and the last four numbers of their back accounts.

"The information obtained by the criminals cannot be used directly to access customers' bank accounts. However, this information does leave these 1,827 customers open to fraud and might also leave them open to phishing attempts," a Vodafone UK spokesman said on Friday.

The mobile phone company informed the UK National Crime Agency and the Information Commissioner's Office, a government office charged with enforcing the Data Protection Act.

The announcement comes a week after British telecommunications company TalkTalk announced that they were also targeted by cyber criminals.

While TalkTalk initially reported that millions of customers' private details may have been compromised in the attack, less than 21,000 customers were affected.

Three British suspects, including two teenage boys, have been arrested over the TalkTalk hack.

ls/bw (AFP, Reuters)