Germany Warns of Identity Theft Scam: 18 Million Email Addresses and Passwords Compromised

BSI Urges Users to Secure Computers and Change Passwords

April 7, 2014, Berlin - The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has issued a warning following the discovery of an identity theft case involving approximately 18 million email addresses and passwords. Nearly 3 million of the compromised accounts belong to German users.

Identifying and Contacting Affected Users

The BSI is currently reaching out to around 70% of the estimated 3 million German users affected by this breach and strongly advises all users to verify their account status through the BSI’s online tool available here.

Details of the Breach

The compromised data includes:

• Email addresses
• Social network passwords
• Email passwords
• Credentials for online shops

The BSI suspects botnets were responsible for the data collection but has yet to identify the precise sources of the breach.

Previous Breach Affected 16 Million Individuals

This latest identity theft incident is not the first time the BSI has issued such a warning. In January 2014, the BSI advised the public to use their online tool to check if their personal information had been compromised, affecting an estimated 16 million individuals.

Protecting Your Online Accounts

To protect your online accounts, the BSI recommends the following steps:

1. Run a malware scan on your computer.
2. Change your passwords for all affected accounts.
3. Be cautious when clicking links or downloading attachments, especially from unknown or suspicious sources.
4. Keep your software updated to protect against known vulnerabilities.
5. Regularly check your bank and credit card statements for unauthorized transactions.

Stay Informed and Stay Safe

The BSI continues to work on identifying the origins of the breach and encourages everyone, especially German users and those with German contacts, to take immediate action to secure their online accounts. Stay informed and stay safe!