Websites sell Britons' bank details

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/s...122893,00.html

The information watchdog is considering whether to launch an investigation after it emerged that thousands of Britons' bank details are for sale on the internet.

There are more than 100 websites offering to sell UK bank details, including account numbers, Pins and security codes, the Times newspaper revealed.

The newspaper was able to download banking information belonging to 32 people, including a High Court deputy judge, for free.

It said one fraudster was offering to sell 30,000 British credit card numbers for £1 each.

The details are unlikely to be enough to enable criminals to access people's bank accounts but they could help them to commit identify theft and apply for credit or benefits in their name, while they may also be able to use the credit card details to spend money online.

The Information Commissioner is currently examining the evidence that has been given to him by the Times, before deciding whether to launch a formal investigation.

A spokesman for Information Commissioner Richard Thomas said the data on offer appeared to be for accounts that were currently active.

He said: "From what I have seen the information would be enough for someone to go online and spend money, but at this stage there is no way of knowing which cards are on there. "Clearly it's a matter of concern if people's personal banking details, which should remain private, are on a public website."

He said the initial focus would be on what security breach, if any, had taken place to allow the information to get into the public domain. He added that if the data was acquired fraudulently, or by theft, the matter would be passed to the police as a criminal inquiry.

The news comes a day before Mr Thomas is due to address the House of Commons Justice Committee over the powers that he needs to prevent breaches of data protection.