Lloyds Banking Group is conducting an inquiry following reports from some of its customers at Lloyds, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland who claimed they could view other users’ transactions on their app and online banking platforms.
A woman disclosed to the BBC that she was able to access the accounts of six different users on her Bank of Scotland app within a 20-minute timeframe. Among the transactions she allegedly saw were benefit payments from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), utilizing National Insurance numbers as payment references.
She also mentioned observing payments from a pub in Newcastle and transactions to Waitrose, despite the absence of a nearby Waitrose from her location.
Consumer advocate Martin Lewis noted receiving messages about individuals seeing unauthorized transactions in their accounts. Several users reported viewing unfamiliar payments before the app reverted to displaying their own transactions.
The total number of affected individuals remains uncertain, given that Lloyds Banking Group serves approximately 26 million customers. The issue emerged around 7 am, as indicated by a surge in complaints on the DownDetector outage tracking platform.
A spokesperson from Lloyds Banking Group expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to some customers who experienced a brief disruption in viewing transactions via the app. The matter was swiftly addressed, and an investigation is underway to determine the root cause.
One customer shared with the Press Association her disconcerting experience of discovering mysterious transactions when accessing her banking app. She expressed feeling like she had stumbled upon someone else’s financial activities, including unfamiliar direct debits, cash withdrawals, and payments at unknown locations.
The customer from Edinburgh expressed her concern over the security of her personal information, particularly after transferring a substantial sum of money into the account from her mother’s estate. The unsettling experience of witnessing unauthorized transactions has raised doubts about the reliability of the banking app.
Users are advised to opt-out of data sharing and review privacy policies to ensure the protection of their personal information while using online services.