Lloyds Banking Group has initiated an inquiry following reports from some of its customers at Lloyds, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland who claimed they could access other users’ transactions through the mobile app and online banking platform.
According to a woman who spoke with the BBC, she was able to view the accounts of six different users on her Bank of Scotland app within a 20-minute timeframe. Among the transactions she observed were benefit payments from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) that utilized the recipients’ National Insurance numbers as payment references.
Additionally, she noted payments from a pub in Newcastle, located 154 miles away from her residence in Kirkcaldy, Fife, as well as transactions to Waitrose, despite the absence of a nearby Waitrose store.
Consumer advocate Martin Lewis shared on X that individuals had contacted him reporting instances of witnessing unauthorized transactions on their accounts. Respondents also mentioned seeing unfamiliar payments before the app reverted to displaying their own transactions.
The full extent of the impact remains uncertain, considering that Lloyds Banking Group serves approximately 26 million customers. The issue emerged around 7 am, coinciding with a surge in complaints on DownDetector, an outage tracking service.
A spokesperson from Lloyds Banking Group expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to customers who faced difficulties viewing transactions on the app briefly. The problem was swiftly addressed, and investigations are ongoing to determine the cause.
One customer recounted feeling like she stumbled upon someone else’s financial activities when she logged into her banking app and encountered unknown transactions, including direct debits, cash withdrawals, and payments at unfamiliar locations. The unsettling experience raised concerns about data security and the accuracy of personal financial details displayed in the app.
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