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BA Investigating Theft of Personal and Financial Data

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Old Sep 7, 2018, 8:15 am
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On Thursday 6 September 2018 at about 1830 London time (UTC+1), BA announced that there had been a data breach involving customers using the BA website and the BA mobile app.

Updates from BA are being posted to this ba.com page: https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...st-information
A further update dated 25 October 2018 can be found in this post 1377. The SPG Law class action thread can be found here.

As at 1400 London time on Tuesday 11 September 2018, the body of that page read:-
Customer data theft

We are investigating, as a matter of urgency, the theft of customer data between 22:58 BST August 21 2018 until 21:45 BST September 5 2018 from our website, ba.com, and our mobile app.

The stolen data included personal and financial details of customers making bookings and changes on ba.com and the airline’s app. The data did not include travel or passport details.

The theft has been reported to the authorities and our website is now working normally.

What to do if you have been affected

If you believe you may have been affected because you made a booking or paid to change to your booking with a credit or debit card on ba.com or the mobile app between 22:58 BST August 21 2018 until 21:45 BST September 5 2018, we recommend you contact your bank or credit card provider and follow their advice.

We understand that this incident will cause concern and inconvenience. We are contacting all affected customers to say sorry, and we will continue to update them in the coming days.

Phishing

Customers should also be aware that fraudsters may be claiming to be British Airways and attempt to gather personal information by deception (known as 'phishing').

We will not be contacting any customers asking for payment card details and any such requests should be reported to the police and relevant authorities.

See below for more information on how to validate that the email you have received from us is genuine.
That is followed by a series of FAQs. These are reproduced at the end of this wikipost.

If you are experiencing difficulties in changing your BA password or want further information about doing so, some information is in this thread: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...rd-ba-com.html (which also has a wikipost).

Reports from FTers suggest that credit card companies and banks are taking differing approaches to this incident:-
  • American Express - A recorded message says they are aware of the breach, there is no need to take any further action and if you suffer any financial loss you will be fully compensated; an email says: "There is no action you need to take – we will contact you immediately if there's any unusual activity with your Account. In the meantime you can continue to use your Card as normal" (see post 293, post 401, post 470 and post 491).
  • Barclaycard - They just assured me I was fully protected, and I didn't need to do anything yet (see post 253); however at 18.20 on 7/9/18 the customer service helpline automated message says that affected cards are being reissued (see post 511).
  • Barclays Bank - They have contacted people they believe to have been affected, and have blocked their cards from online use (website/app), but the cards remain valid for physical (chip & PIN) transactions in shops, ATMs etc. New cards being dispatched "within a week" (see post 918).
  • Capital One - online transactions being blocked, new cards being issued (see post 493).
  • Chase (British Airways visa) - no contact from Chase about data breach and card still working
  • HSBC Premier Mastercard - Offering customers the option to freeze the card or replace it with a new card (see post 274).
  • Lloyds - Said "wait and see", but did give the option to cancel the card and have it reissued (see post 403).
  • Lloyds Mastercard - Based on the information they have, fraudulent use of my card is unlikely, just keep an eye on online banking and report anything suspicious (see post 370).
  • Monzo - Automatically replacing all cards (see post 371).
  • Natwest- Of the opinion that as there had been no fraudulent activity on my account to just keep an eye on things, and to call immediately if any suspicious transactions appear and fraud team would refund (post 315).
  • Sainsburys Bank - seem to be replacing all cards proactively (see post 968)
  • Starling - Automatically replacing cards (see post 460).
  • Tesco Bank - Pro-actively sending a new card as per details in this post (post 484)
  • TSB - Call the Telephone Banking Team on 03459 758758 to discuss further (see post 437).
  • Vanquis - online transactions being blocked, new cards being issued (see post 493).
FAQs (as at 1400 London time on Tuesday 11 September 2018):-
Have I been affected?

How do I know if I have been affected?

Customers who made bookings or changes to their bookings on ba.com or our mobile app between 22:58 BST August 21, 2018 and 21:45 BST September 5, 2018 may have been affected.

We advise any customers who believe they may have been affected to contact their banks or credit card providers and follow their advice.

We are experiencing high call volumes into our contact centres so please continue to check this page for the latest information.

Contact us

What data has been lost?

The personal and financial details of customers making bookings on ba.com and our mobile app between 22:58 BST August 21, 2018 and 21:45 BST September 5, 2018 was compromised. No passport or travel details were stolen. Only customers who made bookings between these dates are affected.

Names, billing address, email address and all bank card details were all at risk.

Did this affect just new bookings or any payment transaction made within the impacted time period?

All payment transactions made on ba.com or our mobile app from 22:58 BST August 21 2018 to 21:45 September 5 2018 inclusive were affected. Nothing before or after these dates and times was impacted. Payments made through our call centres, travel agents or online travel sites are not affected.

Are my saved payment card details safe if they were used to make a booking in that period?

If you made a payment using a saved card on ba.com or the mobile app from 22:58 BST August 21, 2018 to 21:45 September 5, 2018 inclusive, you may have been impacted.

No Executive Club accounts were compromised in the data theft. There is no impact to Avios or details stored with the British Airways Executive Club.

Has saved credit card data been stolen, even if a booking hasn’t been made in that period?

No, saved payment card data has not been compromised. However, if you made a payment using a saved card on ba.com or the mobile app from 22:58 BST August 21, 2018 to 21:45 September 5, 2018 inclusive, you may have been impacted.

How were phone numbers not affected?

Phone number information is collected in a separate part of the booking process and is not used as part of the payment transaction therefore this has not been impacted.

I used PayPal to pay for my ba.com transaction. Is this impacted?

If you booked through PayPal, your PayPal account will not have been compromised. There does remain the risk that some of your personal information such as your name and address may have been accessed. No passport details or travel details were compromised.

Is Apple Pay affected?

If you used Apple Pay via the mobile app then your data will not have been compromised.

I had a failed payment attempt during the affected time period – am I affected?

If you clicked the pay button on ba.com then the transaction would have taken place even if the outcome was unsuccessful and the data would have been compromised.

We advise any concerned customers to contact their banks or credit card providers and follow their advice.

Will I be affected if I made a free change to my booking but my payment card details were saved in the reservation?

If you made a free change to your booking via ba.com and did not use your payment card as part of that transaction, then you will not have been impacted.

Are travel agent bookings affected?

Only bookings or changes to bookings made directly with ba.com or the mobile app between 22:58 BST August 21, 2018 and 21:45 BST September 5, 2018 were affected.

If a change was made to a travel agent booking on ba.com and payment made for an additional product, such as seat reservations or excess baggage, then these would be affected.

Does this affect Executive Club accounts in any way? i.e. missing Avios/ Tier Points

No accounts were compromised in the data theft. There is no impact to Avios or details stored with the British Airways Executive Club.

I received an email about the data theft, however I only cancelled a booking during this time – will I be affected?

If you cancelled and refunded your booking between 22:58 BST August 21, 2018 and 21:45 September 5, 2018, you will not have been impacted.

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What should I do if I think I am affected?

Should I call my bank or cancel my credit cards?

We recommend that all customers who made bookings or changes to their bookings with ba.com or the mobile app, between 22:58 BST August 21, 2018 and 21:45 BST September 5, 2018, contact their banks or credit card providers and follow their advice.

I think my card was compromised when I made a booking on ba.com outside of the time period – what should I do?

The data theft relates to customer bookings made or changed between 22:58 BST August 21, 2018 and 21:45 September 5, 2018 only.

We advise any concerned customers to contact their banks or credit card providers and follow their advice.

How would I know if I have been a victim of identity theft?

There are a number of signs to look out for that may indicate that you might have been a victim of identity theft:-
  • Post from your bank or utility provider doesn’t arrive.
  • You apply for state benefits, but are told you are already claiming.
  • Refused financial services, credit cards or a loan, despite having a good credit rating.
  • Receiving letters in your name from solicitors or debt collectors for debts that aren’t yours.
If you think that you might be a victim of identity theft, then you should:
  • Request a copy of your credit file to check for any suspicious credit applications.
  • Report the theft of personal information and suspicious credit applications to the police and ask for a crime reference number.
  • If fraud has been committed, contact Action Fraud.
I have had some suspicious emails or phone calls – are they legitimate?

If you are concerned about an email, we recommend that you don't click on any links, open any documents or reply to it until you have looked into it further.

Official emails relating to this theft will be sent from: [email protected]. You should hover over the sent email address to confirm this is where the email has been sent from before clicking on it.

British Airways will never proactively contact you to request your personal or confidential information. If you ever receive an email or call, claiming to be from us, requesting this information, please report it to us straight away.

We've put the details of the scams we're aware of on our ba.com website security page. There's also security essentials information to help you, along with details of how to report any new scams to us (or other emails/calls that have concerned you).

Will I be reimbursed?

We take the protection of our customers’ data seriously and are very sorry for the concern that this criminal activity has caused.

We will continue to keep our customers updated with the very latest information.

No customer will be out of pocket as a direct result of the criminal theft of data from ba.com and the airline’s mobile app. Any customer who made a booking between 22:58 BST August 21 2018 and 21:45 BST September 5 2018 will be reimbursed for any fraudulent activity on their accounts as a direct result of the data theft and we shall advise the process for this in due course.

We will be offering a 12-month credit rating monitoring service to any affected customer who is concerned about an impact to their credit rating, provided by specialists in the field and will share details of this in the near future.

Will BA pay for costs associated with getting new cards, e.g. postage costs?

No customer will be out of pocket as a direct result of the criminal theft of data from ba.com and the airline’s mobile app. We are working through the process and will update our customers as soon as we can.

How do I reset my ba.com password?

ba.com and Executive Club accounts have not been compromised and your login details are safe.

However, if you’d like to change your password, first ensure you are logged out of ba.com and click the Forgotten Pin/Password link on the top right-hand corner of the homepage. We recommend you choose a unique password that you do not use for any other online account.

We are aware of some customers experiencing intermittent issues when attempting to reset their passwords. We are working on resolving this as quickly as possible.

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How does this affect my bookings?

What shall I do if I am due to travel today?

The incident has been resolved and all systems are working normally so customers due to travel can check-in online as normal.

Will I still be able to check in?

Yes, all customers booked on our flights will be able to check in as normal.

Will this affect any future bookings?

The incident has been resolved and ba.com is working normally so future bookings will not be affected.

Will bookings made over the period of this incident remain confirmed?

Yes, all bookings made remain valid for travel.

If I cancelled the card my booking was made with what do I need to bring to the airport?

The payment card that was used to pay for the booking should be brought to the airport if you are the owner of the card and are travelling. However, if the payment card has expired since the booking was made and you have a new card, or you don't have the original card used for payment, please print out a copy of your flight itinerary from Manage my Booking.

I have now cancelled my credit card, but I had used that card to make a future flight booking, so how will I be able to access that booking?
You do not need to enter your payment card details when retrieving an existing booking via Manage My Booking on ba.com, so access to future booking is not restricted due to the cancellation of the payment card.
As of Wednesday 12th September, affected customers are being emailed with the following additional information

We deeply apologise for any worry and inconvenience this criminal activity has caused. For your reassurance, we’re offering you 12 months of free credit and identity monitoring services, provided by Experian, one of the UK’s leading Credit Reference agencies.

Your free ProtectMyID membership
To help you to monitor your personal information for certain signs of potential identity theft, we are offering you a free 12 month membership to Experian ProtectMyID. This service helps detect possible misuse of your personal data and provides you with identity monitoring support, focussed on the identification and resolution of identity theft.

Activating your free ProtectMyID membership
1. Ensure that you sign up for the service by 12 December 2018. Your code expires after this date.
2. Visit the ProtectMyID website to get started.
3. Click on ‘Join ProtectMyID’ (top right-hand side).
4. Enter your details along with the following activation code: XXXXXXXX
This code is unique to you and only available in this email – please keep this email for reference.

Once your membership is activated, you’ll have access to the following features:
1. Unlimited access to your Experian Credit Report.
2. Credit Alerting – an email or text to let you know when certain changes happen on your Experian Credit Report, such as the addition of a new credit search.
3. Access to an Identity Theft Resolution service if you do become a victim of fraud, where you’ll have a dedicated case worker who will support you in resolving fraud that has occurred.
4. If you are at higher risk of fraud, Experian can add protective Cifas registration to your credit report which can help prevent credit being taken in your name. The Cifas Protective Registration service places a flag alongside your name and personal details in the National Fraud Database. Companies and organisations who are signed up as members of the database will see you’re at risk and take extra steps to protect you.

If you have any questions regarding this service, then please contact Experian’s Customer Support Centre on 03444 818182*. They are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm and Saturday, 9am to 5pm.
Note that the email from BA gives you a personal "Activation Code". However, when you get to the signup forms for ProtectMyID, you put the code into the second page of the sign up form in the "Promotional Code" field.
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BA Investigating Theft of Personal and Financial Data

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Old Sep 26, 2018, 12:51 pm
  #1231  
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Scotland
Programs: BA silver
Posts: 1,850
Originally Posted by T8191
I'm personally cool as far as Amex is concerned. I had transactions during the timeline, was abroad when the news broke [and using my Amex], they say "Relax" and nothing has happened.

I did check daily initially, now I don't bother ... apart from sending them a legitimate Ł9.5k tomorrow when my bill falls due.

Never, ever, had a problem with overseas transactions on 3 continents. I don't tell them, they just process. Perhaps they link the Air Tickets bought on Amex, and know I'm there?
It may be something to do with where I like to travel to! Learned my lesson years ago about not relying on one cc- when we were in the centre of Bali and made several transactions in quick succession. It was refused after the 4th one. Other CC was way back in the hotel! Also had problems buying internal flights in India! But have to say not in the last few years so I am thinking you may well be right. They know I bought airfare to there!
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Old Sep 26, 2018, 1:30 pm
  #1232  
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Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
I've never told Amex where I'm travelling, though occasionally they ring me up to ask me to confirm I'm in somewhere unpronounceable.
Happisburgh or Scun-thorpe?
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Old Sep 26, 2018, 1:38 pm
  #1233  
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver (for now)
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Originally Posted by pomkiwi
Could you explain why one needs to be cautious or indeed why it is mad to consider this?

The maximum deduction is clearly stated by the company concerned and there is no risk of incurring fees should BA win.
Opitimistic estimates put any award for non-material damage at Ł1000 so the fee would be around Ł350.
BA have made it clear that they do not see they have any obligation to compensate (as opposed to reimburse direct costs) those affected and I have no doubt that trying to convince them otherwise will be a long and frustrating process. Quite honestly if the class action brought a net return of Ł650 or so I would regard that as a fair outcome given the hassle avoided by not having to argue with BA directly for months or longer. It also avoids the long-term impact of the raised blood pressure that often results from contact with BA customer relations when pursuing a grievance!
If BA begin to pay out they’ll pay everyone. I detest no win no fee type spam I get.

Not it quite sure why people are expecting BA to pay out of people haven’t suffered a loss either.
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Old Sep 26, 2018, 2:05 pm
  #1234  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
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Originally Posted by Will100
If BA begin to pay out they’ll pay everyone.
No they won't. You think they pay 500 people when an A380 goes tech, and only 10 people file an MCOL for EU261?
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Old Sep 26, 2018, 3:01 pm
  #1235  
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 872
Sounds like an incompitent individual at BA who cannot read the policy. I would reply highlighting the text and advising as a UK resident, I am traveling and teh card was cancelled by the bank as a direct consequence of BA. Either they offer to reimburse the cost, esulate to a senior and confirm there final position, I would at this point state your intentions to issue court procedings with no further delay should BA's position remain the same.

It will make the individual think twice before replying. I see it all the time where in my company individuals who have no concept of the law make decisions on what they think is reasnable and assume everyone is the same
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Old Sep 26, 2018, 3:42 pm
  #1236  
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
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Originally Posted by Deltus
No they won't. You think they pay 500 people when an A380 goes tech, and only 10 people file an MCOL for EU261?
I’m sure I’ll hear it here first in that case, I’m capable of claiming for myself and not giving some jerk off lawyers 35%. It’s not that hard.
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Old Sep 28, 2018, 10:11 am
  #1237  
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Only fair to point out - as BA would not do so themselves on FT - that I have a statement from them saying that travelwithross was offered a full refund of his Ł60 "several weeks ago" but he has not produced any receipt to support the Ł60 claim. They say that Customer Relations has contacted him again following his FT posts above and reiterated that he can have his Ł60 on sight of proof that he has incurred the expense.

See: https://www.headforpoints.com/2018/0...ount-extended/
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Old Sep 28, 2018, 11:42 am
  #1238  
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Originally Posted by Raffles
Only fair to point out - as BA would not do so themselves on FT - that I have a statement from them saying that travelwithross was offered a full refund of his Ł60 "several weeks ago" but he has not produced any receipt to support the Ł60 claim. They say that Customer Relations has contacted him again following his FT posts above and reiterated that he can have his Ł60 on sight of proof that he has incurred the expense.

See: https://www.headforpoints.com/2018/0...ount-extended/
That's put a whole different view of that case. Perfectly reasonable to ask for a receipt before paying up - just like with duty of care under Eu261 or for reimbursement of expenses for delayed luggage.

Will be be getting an apology from that particular poster for misleading us? I guess the MCOL claim won't get very far now either.
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Old Sep 28, 2018, 12:59 pm
  #1239  
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Originally Posted by UKtravelbear
That's put a whole different view of that case. Perfectly reasonable to ask for a receipt before paying up - just like with duty of care under Eu261 or for reimbursement of expenses for delayed luggage.

Will be be getting an apology from that particular poster for misleading us? I guess the MCOL claim won't get very far now either.
Why do you think the poster has mislead you?

If BA wanted a receipt, they would not have said “it is not reasonable that BA should accept liability for the shipment costs involved in issuing a card to a UK Resident overseas”. They would have said “please send us a receipt”.

More likely explanation is an abrupt volte-face.
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Old Sep 28, 2018, 1:12 pm
  #1240  
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Originally Posted by Calchas
Why do you think the poster has mislead you?

If BA wanted a receipt, they would not have said “it is not reasonable that BA should accept liability for the shipment costs involved in issuing a card to a UK Resident overseas”. They would have said “please send us a receipt”.

More likely explanation is an abrupt volte-face.
BA also told me that this statement is not true:

’We are not sure where the wording in your piece came from because this isn’t something we said.’
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Old Sep 28, 2018, 2:39 pm
  #1241  
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Originally Posted by Raffles


BA also told me that this statement is not true:

’We are not sure where the wording in your piece came from because this isn’t something we said.’
Do you want to give the full story at once?

So BA is alleging that travelwithross fabricated their refusal to pay Ł60? BA checked the phone logs / email logs and it's just a complete load of rubbish?

Side note, it's a touch concerning that they were happy to disclose the content of their conversation with the passenger to a third party, even to correct the public record.
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Old Sep 28, 2018, 2:53 pm
  #1242  
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
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Folks, let's draw a line here.

What we've learned today is that any members who have incurred out of pocket costs during the course of obtaining replacement credit cards are at liberty to claim reimbursement of these costs from BA. This is positive information.

Prospero
Moderator: BA forum
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Old Sep 28, 2018, 4:20 pm
  #1243  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
But with the greatest of respect didn't we know that people were at liberty to claim out of pocket expenses some weeks ago (since it is in the Q&As reproduced in the wiki).

What is at issue and under debate is whether BA intend to honour their promise to ensure that no customers are out of pocket (at least without putting them through a wild goose chase). Claiming and receiving reimbursement being two completely different things.
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Old Sep 28, 2018, 8:14 pm
  #1244  
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Originally Posted by Calchas
Why do you think the poster has mislead you?

If BA wanted a receipt, they would not have said “it is not reasonable that BA should accept liability for the shipment costs involved in issuing a card to a UK Resident overseas”. They would have said “please send us a receipt”.

More likely explanation is an abrupt volte-face.
We are relying on what the poster says in their posts and we take that as being the truth.

BUT it later became apparent that what the poster posted wasn't accurate hence we were misled.

It underlines that if people want advice they need to give full disclosure. How many threads have we had that said X happened and then it turns out that vital information has been omitted that totally changes the answers given.
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Old Sep 29, 2018, 4:46 am
  #1245  
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To re-itierate the point made by my colleague Prospero, in view of the conflicting information and the personal nature of the disclosure, perhaps we might move on at this point rather than get hung up on an individual case - at least until the member concerns chooses to share more details with us. @:-)

/mod
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