Vodafone UK Says Hackers Access 1,800 Accounts

Vodafone Group Plc. on Saturday announced that account details of about 1,800 users in the United Kingdom, including bank accounts and phone numbers, may have been leaked in a hacking attack.

Details like names, mobile numbers and bank account numbers -- which have been compromised -- cannot be used directly to access customers’ bank accounts, the company said. However, the company also cautioned that the affected customers could be vulnerable to phishing attempts.

The company is the second U.K. phone carrier to be targeted in just over a week after TalkTalk Telecom Group Plc. received ransom demands from a group of hackers, according to reports. On Oct. 21, a cyberattack on TalkTalk accessed close to 21,000 unique bank account numbers and other details. A 20-year-old man and two teenagers have been arrested in connection with the case so far.

The Vodafone hack took place between midnight Oct. 28 and midday Oct. 29, at which point company watchdogs took notice and raised an alarm with the National Crime Agency (NCA) of the issue on the evening of Oct. 30, the company said in the statement.