Online raiders fool banks into handing over customers detail

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/u ... 759818.ece

Adam Fresco, Crime Correspondent

A gang of online bank robbers that has taken over the accounts of at least ten people and stolen hundreds of thousands of pounds is being hunted by an anti-fraud unit.

The gang hacked into private bank accounts and used private details to order new debit and credit cards which it then used to buy expensive jewellery, electronic goods and euros.

The gang managed to get enough information about one victim to have £60,000 transferred from his mortgage reserve account to his current account, which it then spent.

Barclays Bank managed to intercept much of the fraud and is believed to have stopped at least £500,000 being stolen from clients. But officers from the Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit say that there may be many more victims.
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Detective Constable Keith Harrington said that the gang’s favourite method was a process known as “account take overâ€

[pillar box]

Nice to know we can trust the Banking system (remember Northern Rock)

I am beginning to think that the old idea of keeping money inside a mattress is the only sure way of securing your money.

[Post Off]

After ordering a new debit card and PIN from Barclays the gang is thought to have paid a middle-aged, white drug user to pose as Mr Whitaker and collect his mail from his local postal sorting office using fake identification.

What I don't understand is how this bank could have allowed all of these steps to lead to this major security lapse.