Q&A

What has happened?

Customers have complained about money being withdrawn without their permission. Some said hundreds or even thousands of pounds disappeared overnight. Tesco Bank said it had identified ‘suspicious activity’ and blocked cards immediately as a precaution.

How many have been affected?

Hundreds of people have taken to Twitter to voice their concern over missing cash. Tesco Bank said the number of people affected was in the thousands, but was fewer than 10,000.

Who is responsible?

That’s hard to know. It’s possible the attackers simply used credentials stolen in other highprofile breaches. This method would rely on people repeatedly using the same username/ password combination across a range of online services.

What does it mean for other bank accounts?

Anyone who banks online should use a different password for each account. Emails claiming to be from your bank asking for personal details should never be responded to.

Will customers be compensated?

Yes. Tesco Bank said any customers who had cash taken out of their account will receive a full refund within 24 business hours of it happening. It said new cards will be issued within seven to ten day.

Has this happened before?

In 2014, details of 2,239 Tesco Bank accounts – including usernames, passwords and loyalty card balances – were accessed by hackers and posted online. Last year, a phishing email attack was launched, suggesting that recipients could view the latest interest rate news by opening an attached file. However, the email was not from Tesco Bank – it was a scam designed to steal account login details by asking customers to click on a link.