Intelligence received by the bureau suggests that accounts linked to these email addresses have been compromised and believes that the offenders are preparing to misuse the accounts over the coming weeks.
There is no evidence of a systematic data breach on the part of any of names services; instead it seems likely that the accounts were accessed as a result of a poor quality password and that the offenders have been able to compromise further accounts due to the repeated use of the same password.
In addition to contacting the affected user, the NFIB will be informing all organisations that have been mentioned, enabling them to protect the users account from further or potential misuse.
What to do if your email address has been compromised:
- Immediately change the password on your online accounts, remembering to use one that meets a minimum level of complexity.
- You should also ensure that you use a different password for each account.
- To limit the potential for unauthorised access make use of the two-factor authentication services offered by most online services.
To report a fraud and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.
