19th Aug 2020 19:04
(Alliance News) - Experian PLC said on Wednesday its South African arm has continued to investigate an incidence of fraud that led to a breach of data that exposed personal information of as many as 24 million South Africans and 793,749 business entities.
The Dublin-based consumer credit reporting company said investigations carried out by Experian South Africa have found that an individual - pretending to represent a legitimate client - fraudulently requested services from Experian.
However, Experian assured that Experian South Africa's bureau infrastructure, systems and database have not been compromised, and there was no breach of Experian South Africa's systems.
It stated that no consumer credit or consumer financial information was obtained, adding that investigations do not show that any data has been used for fraudulent purposes. It noted it investigations indicated that the suspect - who has now been identified - had intended to use the data to create marketing leads to offer insurance and credit-related services.
Experian said it has obtained an Anton Piller order which resulted in the individual's hardware being impounded and the misappropriated data being secured and deleted.
"We are continuing the legal process in this regard, including coordination with law enforcement and relevant authorities," the company added.
Experian announced the breach earlier on Wednesday, adding that it has reported the breach to law enforcement and the appropriate regulatory authorities.
Experian stock closed 0.2% lower at 2,789.00 pence each on Wednesday in London.
By Artwell Dlamini; [email protected] and Ife Taiwo; [email protected]
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