Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > British Airways | Executive Club
Reload this Page >

BA Investigating Theft of Personal and Financial Data

Community
Wiki Posts
Search
Old Sep 7, 2018, 8:15 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: tbm13
Are you trying to change your BA password and having difficulty doing so? For some suggestions, go to this wikipost.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
Print Wikipost

BA Investigating Theft of Personal and Financial Data

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Sep 7, 2018, 12:46 pm
  #526  
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 783
Originally Posted by deboyzoned
Without loggin in, select forgot my password
Thanks! That worked.

Why is the BA website just so bad, its really no wonder this data breach happened.
DG55 is offline  
Old Sep 7, 2018, 12:56 pm
  #527  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC GGL, HH DIAMOND, AVIS Presidents Club, Karahi Express
Posts: 1,229
Originally Posted by DG55
Thanks! That worked.

Why is the BA website just so bad, its really no wonder this data breach happened.
If you follow the banner about the theft on home page without logging in you will see more information.

deboyzoned is offline  
Old Sep 7, 2018, 12:56 pm
  #528  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NCL
Programs: UA 1MM/*G. DL Gold for one more year.
Posts: 5,305
Originally Posted by DG55
Thanks! That worked.

Why is the BA website just so bad, its really no wonder this data breach happened.
EXACTLY

This is a website where 60% of my attempts to make a booking end up, at the pricing stage is 'Ooops, something went wrong"

This is a website which, if I make a search which ends up in a successful pricing, sends me an unsolicited e-mail with a link for finishing the purchase. And when I click that link, I get on error message saying that they don't serve that destination.

They are not even willing to invest in a website that provides rudimentary protection of their own revenue stream. Why should I believe that they have spent anything at all to protect my security?
Passmethesickbag is offline  
Old Sep 7, 2018, 1:01 pm
  #529  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: UK
Posts: 80
Originally Posted by rapidex
Tesco wouldn't let me use my amex card today until I produced ID and had a nasty interview with a manager. BA say dont call us, amex wont take my call and using my card is difficult. Thanks BA, where is my 50000 Avios for your incompetence which is directly affecting my life.
Er....? Why would Tesco do this? You’d be better off contacting Tesco management and calling out their jobsworth staff - or shop elsewhere. Tesco treated you badly here, not BA.

As a counter-point, I used my BA Amex in M&S with absolutely no problems at all.
DWB1873 is offline  
Old Sep 7, 2018, 1:02 pm
  #530  
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 643
Originally Posted by rossmacd
Thanks, one of my providers also I'll not cancel the card just yet, I can monitor for any suspicious activities.
Corner card were very good. Spotted all fraudulent activity, asked me to give them a call
rossmacd likes this.
danam is offline  
Old Sep 7, 2018, 1:13 pm
  #531  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Programs: Mucci de l'Arbitrage
Posts: 927
What the various card issuers’ reactions could mean

Interesting to note the reactions of the various card issuers to this data breach
- some have blocked cards which have been used on BA.com
- some have said don’t worry we monitor your account and will cover any fraud anyway
- some are happy to block cards if you insist, to make you feel happy

Is is just me that have this nagging feeling that an issuer that automatically blocks all potentially affected cards is one that does not trust its own fraud detection system?
Takiteasy is offline  
Old Sep 7, 2018, 1:17 pm
  #532  
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 67
Did try amex today to find out their advice but line nor recognised or busy, but a reassuring email did appear later today that they are monitoring the account and no further action from me needed.

What is galling is that on twitter, the BA team is highlighting that it was just flight bookings, rather than flight+hotel why could the email from BA not highlight this or they send a second subsequent email.

On the compensation side of things, things could get interesting given with the details hackers now have for phishing attempts and more, plus the ongoing hassle of spotting is this is a real BA email with a link to sale or a rogue site trying to get my details. What would be fair is hard to say, but events like this if handled well could keep customers, doing the bare minimum will mean others will take their business elsewhere, at least something fairly token with a sincere apology would probably go a long way. The scope for people seeing problems for a long time from this hack are real.
Silver Fox likes this.
FlyingGarden is offline  
Old Sep 7, 2018, 1:21 pm
  #533  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NCL
Programs: UA 1MM/*G. DL Gold for one more year.
Posts: 5,305
Originally Posted by FlyingGarden
Did try amex today to find out their advice but line nor recognised or busy, but a reassuring email did appear later today that they are monitoring the account and no further action from me needed.

What is galling is that on twitter, the BA team is highlighting that it was just flight bookings, rather than flight+hotel why could the email from BA not highlight this or they send a second subsequent email.

On the compensation side of things, things could get interesting given with the details hackers now have for phishing attempts and more, plus the ongoing hassle of spotting is this is a real BA email with a link to sale or a rogue site trying to get my details. What would be fair is hard to say, but events like this if handled well could keep customers, doing the bare minimum will mean others will take their business elsewhere, at least something fairly token with a sincere apology would probably go a long way. The scope for people seeing problems for a long time from this hack are real.
Thanks to GDPR legislation, this is now beyond corporate discretion. If you google "GDPR breach compensation", it will guide you to any number of m'learned friends who have created new web pages fishing for business.
Silver Fox likes this.
Passmethesickbag is offline  
Old Sep 7, 2018, 1:26 pm
  #534  
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 699
Biggest inconvenience now is losing 2.5 avios for Ł1 until my new lloyds avios turns up, having to revert back to my BA Amex 1 for 1 😬

Would this be compensated by ba 🤔
mwp1 is offline  
Old Sep 7, 2018, 1:35 pm
  #535  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: The greatest wee nation on earth.
Programs: Iron Maiden FC, GE, Rapidly falling down the Tiers to oblivion.
Posts: 2,604
Cancelled my hsbc prem cards. They have a habit of cancelling at the first sign of a dodgy transaction, so better this way rather than trying to pay for a pack of sausages at sainsburys and finding out your card was blocked. Also had fun with the twitter team who continually refused to believe the change password link didn’t work; and that all customers were contacted - and I was then finally contacted an hour later this afternoon.
Silver Fox likes this.
jcm9000 is offline  
Old Sep 7, 2018, 1:38 pm
  #536  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NCL
Programs: UA 1MM/*G. DL Gold for one more year.
Posts: 5,305
Originally Posted by jcm9000
Cancelled my hsbc prem cards. They have a habit of cancelling at the first sign of a dodgy transaction, so better this way rather than trying to pay for a pack of sausages at sainsburys and finding out your card was blocked. Also had fun with the twitter team who continually refused to believe the change password link didn’t work; and that all customers were contacted - and I was then finally contacted an hour later this afternoon.
When I tweeted BA to point out their statutory duty to communicate the name and contact details of their data protection officer or other contact point, their Twitter team responded "We take the protection of our customers’ data very seriously". They truly are the worst; robots would do a better job.
Silver Fox likes this.
Passmethesickbag is offline  
Old Sep 7, 2018, 1:41 pm
  #537  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
Originally Posted by Passmethesickbag
When I tweeted BA to point out their statutory duty to communicate the name and contact details of their data protection officer or other contact point ...
Isn't the duty to "communicate the name and contact details of the data protection officer or other contact point where more information can be obtained" satisfied by providing a page on ba.com which has been updated from time to time with further information since the announcement of the breach?
Globaliser is offline  
Old Sep 7, 2018, 1:43 pm
  #538  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NCL
Programs: UA 1MM/*G. DL Gold for one more year.
Posts: 5,305
Originally Posted by Globaliser
Isn't the duty to "communicate the name and contact details of the data protection officer or other contact point where more information can be obtained" satisfied by providing a page on ba.com which has been updated from time to time with further information since the announcement of the breach?
No.
Silver Fox likes this.
Passmethesickbag is offline  
Old Sep 7, 2018, 1:43 pm
  #539  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
Originally Posted by rossmacd
For those saying that they are currently travelling and wont be able to get new cards from their home/office/whatever address for many weeks/months (as I currently am), I'm afraid to call you out that this is bad planning on your part. I carry 5 separate credit cards with me - a mixture of AMEX, Visa and MCs all issued by different financial institutions from 3 separate countries. Not only does this give me access to a massive amount of credit should I need it if the worst happens, but also access to funds should I need to cancel one of the cards for fraud etc. It is all in the planning, especially for very frequent travelers....
Not all of BA's customers have a 999 credit score. Quite possibly a number of the 480k affected will only have a single debit card, perhaps travelling somewhere distant at short notice only because of a family emergency, and now face a serious disruption because of criminality and incompetence. These folks are also the least likely to be in a position to recover their losses later. But some of them might be reading this thread in the hope of gleaning some practicable information.
Calchas is offline  
Old Sep 7, 2018, 1:46 pm
  #540  
Moderator: Qatar Airways
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: LHR/NCE/MIA
Programs: BAEC GfL & GGL, SQ Gold, Amex Centurion, Mucci des Chevaliers des Bons Mots et Qui Savent Moucher
Posts: 8,947
Latest BA email (apologies if already posted)

Dear Customer,

Following our email notifying you about our recent criminal data theft, we wanted to provide you with more information.



As you may be aware, from 22:58 BST 21 August 2018 until 21:45 BST 5 September 2018 inclusive, the personal and financial details of customers making or changing bookings at ba.com, and on our app were compromised. We’re truly sorry, but you may have been affected.



The personal information compromised includes full name, billing address, email address and payment card information. This includes your card number, expiry date and CVV. Unfortunately this information could be used to conduct fraudulent transactions using your account. We recommend that you contact your bank or credit card provider immediately and follow their advice.



British Airways has taken steps to prevent any further data theft, the website is working normally, and we are working with the authorities to investigate how this theft occurred.



Reimbursement Information

We’ll reimburse our customers who have suffered financial losses as a direct result of the theft of their payment card details. We’ll also offer credit rating monitoring, provided by specialists in the field, to any affected customer who is concerned about an impact to their credit rating.



More information will be available on ba.com, so please check for regular updates.



Action you need to take

We take the protection of your personal information very seriously and would encourage you to review the advice below:



1. 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.



2. Review your credit card or bank account statements as soon as you can to check for unauthorised transactions or payments. If you suspect fraud, contact your bank immediately.



3. Do not respond to, or follow any web links from untrusted sources.



Once again, we truly apologise for any worry and inconvenience this criminal activity has caused. Our contact numbers can be found at ba.com, or you can email our Data Protection Officer at [email protected].





Yours sincerely




AlexCruzSignature
Alex Cruz


;
msm2000uk is online now  


Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.