Lloyds Banking Group has initiated an inquiry following reports from customers of Lloyds, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland who disclosed they could access other users’ transactions on their app and online banking platforms.
A customer shared with the BBC that she had visibility into the accounts of six different users on her Bank of Scotland app within a 20-minute timeframe. The transactions she reportedly observed included benefit payments from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), utilizing recipients’ National Insurance numbers as payment references.
Additionally, she noted transactions such as payments from a pub in Newcastle, located 154 miles away from her residence in Kirkcaldy, Fife, and payments to Waitrose, despite the absence of a nearby Waitrose store.
Consumer advocate Martin Lewis mentioned on social media that individuals had contacted him about encountering other people’s transactions. Respondents confirmed seeing unfamiliar payments before the app reverted to displaying their own transactions.
While the exact number of impacted individuals remains unclear, Lloyds Banking Group serves approximately 26 million customers. The issue emerged around 7 am, with a surge in complaints documented on the DownDetector outage tracker during that period.
A spokesperson for Lloyds Banking Group expressed regret over the temporary disruption experienced by some customers in accessing transaction details through the app. The matter was swiftly addressed, and an investigation into the incident is underway.
One individual shared with the Press Association her shock upon discovering unknown transactions when accessing her banking app, describing the experience as akin to peering into someone else’s financial activities. The customer expressed concern over the security of her personal information and the unsettling nature of the incident.
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