ACCESS BANK HACKED? WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED...
On Monday, 31 August 2020, there were scares that Access Bank Plc, a Tier-1 Nigerian Bank, had been infiltrated by cyber-criminals and had customer information and funds at risk. Across social media platforms, Twitter and Instagram, Access Bank customers panicked at the thought of losing money during a global pandemic.
But what actually happened?
A video declaring a breach of Access Bank appeared on the internet sometime on Monday. In the video, a man claimed to have hacked Access Bank Plc. Reviews of the video on social media revealed that the hacker may have inadvertently allowed his personal information appear on the video as the message "Good evening Ihebuzo Chris" can be seen on a screen in the background.
The perpetrator, who described himself in the video as "a guy... sitting down in his room, trying to do amazing things" claims to have obtained over 2000 customers' information (including account number, BVN numbers, etc). He further claimed that he could debit any Access Bank customer's account at will, going ahead to say "If you use Access Bank, would you want me to debit your account?" and "I have information that will allow me debit you".
Towards the end of the video, the perpetrator advised viewers to patronize Guarantee Trust Bank (another Tier-1 Nigerian Bank) instead of Access Bank, claiming that GTBank was "one of the best banks I have used" and that Access Bank is " a stupid bank". He also advised Access Bank Plc (who he claimed had tried reaching out to him earlier) to contact him so that both parties would "discuss a deal".
Access Bank, in a swift response, has advised customers to cease panicking as the Bank always prioritises customer safety. In the official statement, they also claimed to be working with authorities to "bring the perpetrator to book". The Bank has gone ahead to engage several tweets by customers, and in one of such responses, the Bank states "Hi, please disregard such information as we can assure you that your account is safe with us, and there are no breaches of customers information."
What Next?
While it's reported that some Access Bank customers are engaging in panic withdrawal and transfers of funds, most customers are eagerly waiting for the outcome of Access Bank's investigation and collaboration with authorities to understand the true extent of the breach.
As for the hacker, Nigeria has a very stringent Cybercrime Act (2015), so I'd definitely not want to be him at this moment.