'Data about Britishers from Indian BPOs being sold'

[Spring Onion]

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http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/1...5,00050003.htm

'Data from Indian BPOs being sold'

Indo-Asian News Service

London, October 1, 2006

Sensitive personal information of British customers from Indian call centres are being sold for a price, according to an investigation by Channel 4, The Sunday Times reported.

The Channel 4 programme, as part of its 'Dispatches' series, is titled 'The Data Theft Scandal' and is to be shown on Channel 4 on Thursday.

The details are likely to increase demands to close down call centres of British banks and other companies in India.

The report based on the programme said that data available for sale included credit card data, along with passport and driving licence numbers.

The details are reportedly being "sold to the highest bidder".

The report added that middlemen were offering bulk packages of tens of thousands of credit card numbers for sale.

They even have access to taped telephone conversations in which British customers disclose sensitive security information to call centre staff, it said.
The Sunday Times recalled that in June an HSBC employee in Bangalore was arrested after £2,30,000 were stolen from accounts of British customers.

The report quoted Stewart Room, head of the data protection unit at Rowe Cohen solicitors, as saying that the investigation highlighted serious breaches of customer confidentiality.

"Customers are going to be outraged by this. By giving your data to a firm in Britain, you don't assume it's going to end up being sold in India," he said.

During the investigation for Channel 4's 'Dispatches', one middleman offering stolen data, Sushant Chandak, reportedly offered to sell a database with the credit card details of 2,00,000 people as commercial "leads".

At a meeting in Kolkata, he boasted of a network of agents in call centres across India. "I have a good rapport with them. We cooperate. I pay them, so they trust me," he is reported to have said.

In addition to credit card numbers, Chandak was also offering passport numbers, driving licence numbers and personal banking details.

In a separate meeting, the report said that Chandak offered the details of 8,000 British mobile phone users.
In the programme, the report said that Chandak was seen grinning on the film as a British woman is coaxed into giving the security number on the back of her credit card.

The caller claims to be from a British company that sells mobile phones.

In a meeting in New Delhi, a second middleman, only known as Ghufran, reportedly offered details of customers with Halifax, Nationwide, Woolwich, Bank of Scotland and NatWest for £5 each.

Ghufran claimed the information was obtained by technical support staff who visited call centres and used memory sticks to download recent sale transactions.

The report added that Chandak and Ghufran had denied unlawfully selling information. Chandak said the information he provided was not genuine, while Ghufran said he was passed the data.

[Spring Onion]

hmmm cant this sensitive data being sold by Indian call centres be used against Britishers ??/

[Spring Onion]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/1...1300460000.htm

Data leak shadow on Indian BPOs, again

Prerna K Mishra

New Delhi, October 1, 2006

The Indian business process outsourcing industry is once again under attack for compromising the personal details of global clients. The Sunday Times has claimed — quoting an investigative report by Channel 4, to be telecast on October 5 — that credit card data and passport and driving license numbers are being stolen from Indian call centres and sold to the highest bidder.
This time, unlike in the Karan Bahree and HSBC-like cases where BPO employees were in the firing line, the charges are against middlemen.
The claims made by Channel 4 dispatches are serious. “Middlemen are offering bulk packages of credit card numbers for sale. They even have access to taped telephone conversations in which British customers disclose sensitive security information to call centre staff,” The Sunday Times has reported.
With the fresh assault on the reputation of it golden goose, the industry is once again on the defensive. The National Association on Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) has been exchanging notes with Channel 4 for details regarding the companies from where data leakage has happened. But the channel is yet to oblige.
The association is also trying to get the information from Star News that has telecast footage related to the same case.
Says Nasscom president Kiran Karnik: “While there are a lot of unanswered questions, we take any allegation of a breach in our security extremely seriously. The media can help by ensuring that there is no further delay in them bringing evidence of their claims to the Indian police.”

Says Quatrro founder Raman Roy: “The devil is in the detail. We have tried to get the details of the companies involved and the type of information on offer. But that, as usual, is not forthcoming.”
Presently, the only available information is that Channel 4 has on record a middleman named Sushant Chandak offering to sell a database with the credit card details of 2,00,000 people as commercial “leads”. At a meeting in Kolkata, he seems to have boasted of a network of agents in call centres across India. A second New Delhi-based middleman known as Ghufran is offering details of customers with Halifax, Nationwide, Woolwich, Bank of Scotland and NatWest for £5 each. The details are believed to have been obtained from purchases using cards, the report claims.
Interestingly, according to the newspaper, Chandak and Ghufran have denied selling information unlawfully. Chandak reportedly said the information he provided was not genuine while Ghufran said he was passed the data.
Says Roy, “We asked if the channel has gone to the banks in question to validate the data sold about their clients by the Indian middlemen. But they have responded by saying they did not feel the need to do so. This leaves the Indian BPO in the firing range with its hands tied at the back.”
The industry has also come down heavily on the so-called global sting operations targeting the Indian BPO industry. “We are concerned about the veracity of such stories, especially sting operations. Uncovering crime in society is one thing and inducing crime by offering monetary inducements is another,” adds Karnik.

[Bull]

hmmm cant this sensitive data being sold by Indian call centres be used against Britishers ??/

A 8 yr old kid can answer that!!!

[Spring Onion]

A 8 yr old kid can answer that!!!

Yes indeed but mature peoele like you will refuse to aknowledge that.

Let take it this way .

the licences and the other information sold by Indian centre surely can be used in terror activities in Britain. Dosnt this mean these Indian call centers are a threat to the Britishers ??

[Skeptic786]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/1...5,00050003.htm

'Data from Indian BPOs being sold'

Indo-Asian News Service

London, October 1, 2006

Sensitive personal information of British customers from Indian call centres are being sold for a price, according to an investigation by Channel 4, The Sunday Times reported.

The Channel 4 programme, as part of its 'Dispatches' series, is titled 'The Data Theft Scandal' and is to be shown on Channel 4 on Thursday.

The details are likely to increase demands to close down call centres of British banks and other companies in India.

The report based on the programme said that data available for sale included credit card data, along with passport and driving licence numbers.

The details are reportedly being "sold to the highest bidder".

The report added that middlemen were offering bulk packages of tens of thousands of credit card numbers for sale.

They even have access to taped telephone conversations in which British customers disclose sensitive security information to call centre staff, it said.
The Sunday Times recalled that in June an HSBC employee in Bangalore was arrested after £2,30,000 were stolen from accounts of British customers.

The report quoted Stewart Room, head of the data protection unit at Rowe Cohen solicitors, as saying that the investigation highlighted serious breaches of customer confidentiality.

"Customers are going to be outraged by this. By giving your data to a firm in Britain, you don't assume it's going to end up being sold in India," he said.

During the investigation for Channel 4's 'Dispatches', one middleman offering stolen data, Sushant Chandak, reportedly offered to sell a database with the credit card details of 2,00,000 people as commercial "leads".

At a meeting in Kolkata, he boasted of a network of agents in call centres across India. "I have a good rapport with them. We cooperate. I pay them, so they trust me," he is reported to have said.

In addition to credit card numbers, Chandak was also offering passport numbers, driving licence numbers and personal banking details.

In a separate meeting, the report said that Chandak offered the details of 8,000 British mobile phone users.
In the programme, the report said that Chandak was seen grinning on the film as a British woman is coaxed into giving the security number on the back of her credit card.

The caller claims to be from a British company that sells mobile phones.

In a meeting in New Delhi, a second middleman, only known as Ghufran, reportedly offered details of customers with Halifax, Nationwide, Woolwich, Bank of Scotland and NatWest for £5 each.

Ghufran claimed the information was obtained by technical support staff who visited call centres and used memory sticks to download recent sale transactions.

The report added that Chandak and Ghufran had denied unlawfully selling information. Chandak said the information he provided was not genuine, while Ghufran said he was passed the data.

there will be a big outcry and backlash after dispatches airs.
omgggggggggggggggggggggg

[Jay_]

the licences and the other information sold by Indian centre surely can be used in terror activities in Britain. Dosnt this mean these Indian call centers are a threat to the Britishers ??

Terror activities?? Like what?? they rent out vehicles using bogus DL and ram it on to the buildings??

[Spring Onion]

Terror activities?? Like what?? they rent out vehicles using bogus DL and ram it on to the buildings??

u missed the entire news

The report added that middlemen were offering bulk packages of tens of thousands of credit card numbers for sale.

They even have access to taped telephone conversations in which British customers disclose sensitive security information to call centre staff, it said.


The credit cards and passports can be used in taking part in such activites.

even if not the act on part of these indian call centers to cheat customers. dont u agree ?

[Spring Onion]

Jay this is not the first time Indian call centers were accused of doing so in the past similar allegations were hurled at these.


Australia probing Indian call centre fraud

Indo-Asian News Service

Sydney, August 16, 2005

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/1...1300460000.htm

Australian police on Tuesday said they were checking a report that fraudsters were selling the personal details of thousands of Australians held on the databases of call centres in India.
The claim was made in an investigative report on the Four Corners programme of national broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Justice Minister Chris Ellison said the federal police were investigating the claim that there was a flourishing black market in information held by Indian call centres.
"It is assessing information which has been provided to it," he told parliament. "That was provided to it by staff involved in the Four Corners programme. I think that that course of action is one that I endorse fully."
Ellison added: "Rather than simply having a report on the TV or in the print media and then leaving it there, I endorse what course of action Four Corners took in this regard in taking to the Australian Federal Police the information that it had."


Four Corners claimed ATM numbers, passport numbers and credit card details were all available for sale for as little as 10 Australian dollars per person.

[Bull]

just do an update on whats happening with the issue and see how much of an oputcry it creates.the program is going to be aired this sunday in UK.

And Jana,well you coudnt find any better link btw India and Terror activities right.For your kind info "data theft" is not a Indian invented skill.It was there even before in a much bigger scale rt there in the US and Europe.havnt you heard any?

[Bull]

the licences and the other information sold by Indian centre surely can be used in terror activities in Britain. Dosnt this mean these Indian call centers are a threat to the Britishers ??

jana you are a reporter/writer.Is that what you could infer from this.Well they are threat but still very very minor compared to the madrassas and terror training camps your country runs.

[A.Rahman]

jana you are a reporter/writer.Is that what you could infer from this.Well they are threat but still very very minor compared to the madrassas and terror training camps your country runs.

Camps were financed and made by CIA in 80's....

[Jay_]

u missed the entire news

No I didnt, even though its a huge security violation, its not like it has never happened. Its up to the companies that outsource their work and the BPO's.

The report added that middlemen were offering bulk packages of tens of thousands of credit card numbers for sale.

Thats what we call identity theft.

They even have access to taped telephone conversations in which British customers disclose sensitive security information to call centre staff, it said.

Again, thats identity theft.

The credit cards and passports can be used in taking part in such activites.

I see the news report talks about credit cards, I dont see anything about passport. I read the news again, but I cant see it, may be you are privy to some special news source?

even if not the act on part of these indian call centers to cheat customers. dont u agree ?

And the point is? Its not like the BPO mines the data from somewhere and sold it in bulk. Some of the employees are doing it, BPO's are culpable for lack of infomation security and lack of background investigation of employees. Its not like a worldwide conspiracy to sell off the British.

[Jay_]

Camps were financed and made by CIA in 80's....

And who was financing and arming it after the America/CIA/ USSR left south Asia?

[A.Rahman]

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And who was financing and arming it after the America/CIA/ USSR left south Asia?

Bin ladin....