Financial Crime World

Financial Institution Security Breaches Rock Egypt: Cybercriminal Group EG Leaks Exposes Payment Data of Thousands

A new cyber threat has emerged in Egypt, as a group of hackers known as EG Leaks (aka Egypt Leaks) has been discovered targeting financial institutions across the country. The group has leaked a massive amount of payment data belonging to customers of several major Egyptian banks on the dark web.

EG Leaks Activities Revealed

According to researchers from Resecurity, who are tracking the group’s activities, EG Leaks first surfaced in a Telegram channel where they released Excel files containing sensitive details of 12,229 credit cards. The stolen information includes:

  • Valid customer data such as email addresses
  • Billing addresses
  • Names
  • Bank names
  • Card types

Leaked Data Legitimacy and Implications

What is more alarming is that the leaked data appears to be legitimate, with signs of possible script or parser scraping entries used during the exfiltration process. Although the group did not release CVV or Track 2 data, the exposed information could still be used for identity theft and financial fraud purposes.

Affected Banks and Regions

The affected banks include:

  • Credit Agricole Egypt
  • National Bank of Egypt
  • Banque Misr
  • HSBC Bank Egypt
  • Alexbank

The majority of customers (70%) are from Cairo, with smaller numbers affected in Alexandria (12%), Aswan (8%), Giza (7%), Sohag (2%), and Luxor (1%). A smaller number of customers were also affected in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Security Experts Warn

Experts warn that the leaked data could be used for malicious purposes, and therefore, it is crucial for affected individuals to take immediate action to mitigate risks. This includes:

  • Enabling two-factor authentication (2FA)
  • Being cautious when sharing personal financial information online

Investigation Launched

The incident has prompted law enforcement authorities to launch an investigation into the matter, with a goal of gathering more information about EG Leaks’ activities and bringing those responsible to justice.

Customer Protection Advice

As the Egyptian government and financial institutions work to contain the fallout from this breach, customers are advised to remain vigilant and take steps to protect their personal and financial data.