Wonga – yes, the short-loan provider whose catchy song can be heard on the airwaves – has just been hit with what it has called its biggest data breach yet, reports The Telegraph.

It has now warned nearly a quarter of a million customers that they might be affected, with the stolen data including names, addresses, bank account numbers and sort codes.

The company is investigating the “illegal and unauthorised access” to some of its customers’ personal information in both Britain and Poland:

Around 245 000 customers may have been affected by the cyber attack in the UK, and 25 000 in Poland, a spokeswoman said.

Although Wonga operates to the highest security standards, cyber attackers keep on raising the bar:

The information stolen could also include the last four digits of users’ bank cards, which are used by some banks to enable log-ins to online banking services.

The firm, which said it knew something had happened by Tuesday but did not become aware of a data breach until Friday and began notifying customers on Saturday through email and text.

Wonga said it believes users’ loan accounts are secure and no action needs to be taken. Customers have been warned to look out for any “unusual activity”, and to be cautious about cold calls or emails asking for personal information.

The breach is considered one of the biggest involving financial information to have hit a UK company. Wonga’s spokeswoman continued:

Wonga is urgently investigating illegal and unauthorised access to the personal data of some of its customers in the UK and Poland.

We are working closely with authorities and we are in the process of informing affected customers.

We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused.

Cyber attacks are, unfortunately, on the rise. While Wonga operates to the highest security standards, these illegal attacks are unfortunately increasingly sophisticated.

Luckily, the customers aren’t even close to being from South Africa, but if you’re weary about using a company who has already been breached, SA Personal Loans has your back.

[source:thetelegraph]