The mobile and Internet provider Three UK, which has millions of customers nationally, has confirmed that personal information of customers have been accessed by hackers in a recent cyber attack.

The National Crime Agency are investigating the attack and three people have been arrested.

Protecting yourself
Three have suggested that financial information, including bank and credit card details, was not included in the breached database.

However, it appears as if the criminals may have enough information about Three customers to extract banking details via scam phone calls and emails (a technique we have often seen used against TalkTalk customers in the past).

If you are a customer with Three, it is advised to:

• Change your password for ALL your online accounts – especially if it you use the same one across multiple accounts. Make sure it’s unique and strong. 
• Contact your bank/credit card company so that they can monitor for suspicious activity on your account.
• Monitor your account for any suspicious or unexpected activity.
• Watch out for signs of identity crime. Visit Experian, Equifax or Noddle to check your credit rating to make sure no one has applied for credit in your name.

If you think you have fallen victim to fraud, report it to Action Fraud and get a police crime reference number.

Beware of fraudsters that claim to help
Fraudsters often try to take advantage of a publicised large-scale cyber attack by sending emails or making calls that claim to be from the affected company to help protect you from the hackers.

Look out for targeted phishing emails. If you receive an email that claims to be from Three, never reply with your full password, login details or account details. Don’t click on any links as you could end up downloading a virus.

Be wary of anyone calling asking for personal information, bank details or passwords. If in doubt, just hang up.

If you receive a call or email from Three, treat it with caution. Do not respond with personal information, particularly passwords or banking details.

Don’t Forget
Complete the new 2016 Cyber Crime survey, so we can see the full scope of Cyber Crime in Warwickshire, and across West Mercia and the West Midlands – https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RegionalCyber16

For more information about our work, please visit www.safeinwarwickshire.com/cybercrime

Cyber Aware is a cross-government campaign, funded by the National Cyber Security Programme. They aim to measurably and significantly improve the online safety behaviour and confidence of consumers and small businesses (SMEs).

Get Safe Online is the UK’s leading source of factual and easy-to-understand information on online safety. Their website offers advice on how you can protect yourself, your computers and devices, and your business against the likes of fraud, identity theft, viruses and other potential online problems.

ThinkUKnow is a national website which offers tailored advice to young people about online safety concerns. There is also a section on there if you are a parent/carer or a teacher who is concerned about a young person’s safety online.