The hacker who announced he was selling the personal data of 19.2 million Free customers has announced that he has sold it, a cybersecurity expert confirmed to AFP on Wednesday.
According to a message published on the Internet in a specific forum, the file was acquired for 175,000 dollars (about 160,000 euros), Damián Bancal, cybersecurity expert and author of the blog zataz.com, explained to AFP. Contacted by Tech&Co, Free declined to comment.
Risks related to IBAN theft
Free confirmed the data theft, reported in mid-October, but did not communicate the number of clients affected. The mobile operator and access provider began contacting affected customers by email on Friday, stating that it had been “the victim of a cyber attack targeting a management tool” that “resulted in unauthorized access to part of the personal data associated with the accounts of certain subscribers”.
According to the hacker, the data in question contains, in particular, the names, surnames, postal and email addresses, dates of birth of customers, as well as their IBAN (international bank account number) of 5.1 million of them. . No password or bank card is affected.
While stolen Iban withdrawals remain difficult, there are ways to bypass these restrictions. The Payment Methods Security Observatory recommends “periodically checking” and “updating the list of authorized or prohibited creditors in your online banking space.”
Finally, you should be especially alert to phishing attempts by email or phone, do not provide a password, and do not validate any banking transactions at the request of an advisor. The resources are available on the website cybermalveillance.gouv.fr.
Source: BFM TV
