Boy of 15 held over TalkTalk hacking

A BOY of 15 was arrested yesterday on suspicion of taking part in the cyberattack on TalkTalk.

The teenager was taken into custody after police raided his family home in Northern Ireland.

He is being held on suspicion of breaching the Computer Misuse Act, with detectives in County Antrim preparing to interview him to try to establish how many people’s sensitive information has fallen into the hands of criminals.

Nearly four million customers have been left at risk.

A forensic team continued to comb the boy’s house for clues last night after obtaining a search warrant hours earlier. Computer experts are also carefully examining the boy’s PC and other gadgets for links to the data breach.

Scotland Yard’s cyber-crime unit launched an investigation last Wednesday after TalkTalk revealed the hack. By then some of the four million customers whose data may have been leaked were already being contacted by criminals.

The Met remained tight-lipped about the potential significance of the arrest and whether other arrests are imminent. A spokesman would only confirm that an arrest had been made in connection with the investigation into ‘alleged data theft’ from TalkTalk.

A spokesman for the technology giant said: ‘TalkTalk can confirm that we have been informed by the Metropolitan Police of the arrest of a suspect in connection with the cyber-attack on our website on October 21.

‘We know this has been a worrying time for customers and we are grateful for the swift response and hard work of the police. We will continue to assist in the ongoing investigation.’

The Daily Mail has been inundated with reports from readers whose details were stolen. They revealed that criminals posing as TalkTalk technicians have been hijacking customers’ computers, stealing cash and even threatening rape.

The firm’s websites have been hacked at least three times in the past year, allowing criminals to capture names, email addresses, account numbers and bank details.

The scammers ask victims to allow remote access to their computer and then offer to pay compensation for the disruption into their bank account. Stage two involves claiming they have overpaid the compensation and asking for the money back, which requires the victims to type in bank details and make an electronic transfer.

In reality, no money is put into the customer’s account.

If people refuse to pay up, the hackers are often abusive and lock them out of their computer unless they pay a ransom.

Jackie and Roy Campbell, both 53, from Edinburgh, were first targeted by TalkTalk hackers a year ago. Mrs Campbell said: ‘A person impersonating a TalkTalk technician called us. He had our names, account number and street address so we believed him.

‘He took control of my husband’s PC then demanded £500 to unlock it. I called the police who told me to unplug the PC … It was the most harrowing experience.

‘We have been inundated with calls all year. Last week we noticed a spike in the number. They were threatening and aggressive … One even told my husband they would come and rape his wife.’

A 66-year old woman was targeted by a TalkTalk conman in August. He told her to give him remote access to her PC. After she told him to go away, the hacker deleted family photos from her computer.

Many victims said the fraudsters were aggressive and abusive.

Last night, the Commons culture, media and sport select committee announced an inquiry into the matter. Ministers are also looking at raising fines for firms that breach data laws. At present, the biggest fine that can be handed out is £500,000.

‘Harrowing experience’