Asos warns customers about full extent of data breach after BBC contacted by hackers
BBC News 2026-10-08 09:45:28
Context: Asos has warned its customers that hackers have gained access to detailed profiles of potentially millions of the online store's users, including names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, and customer numbers. The warning came after BBC News was contacted by cyber criminals who claimed the breach went beyond the "basic contact details" Asos previously said might have been accessed. The hackers used Asos's own app system to send a pop-up notification to potentially millions of people.
Key Facts
- Asos confirmed that hackers accessed detailed profiles of potentially millions of users, including names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, customer numbers, and search terms on the website.
- The hackers gained access to an Asos employee account by impersonating a trusted contact to obtain log-in credentials, and used that log-in to download the customer data.
- The cyber criminals, calling themselves Xuanyewen, claimed to have used a platform called Simon AI, built natively on top of Snowflake, to gain access to the data.
- Asos has assured customers that its website and app are safe to use, and that no bank details or passwords were accessed, but cyber security experts have warned users to change passwords as a precaution and be on alert for suspicious activity.