Privacy watchdog probes call centre breaches

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has launched an investigation following claims that Indian call centres used by UK companies have been targeted by criminals looking for customer's financial records.

The investigation by the privacy watchdog follows a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary which showed middlemen offering an undercover reporter financial details of 100,000 customers from Indian call centres.

Deputy information commissioner David Smith said in a statement: "It appears that some mobile phone companies' call centres in India are being targeted by criminals intent on unlawfully obtaining UK citizens' financial records and this will be the focus of our investigation."

He said UK organisations are responsible for the security of their customer information, and that if they use an outsourced call centre - whether in the UK or India - the Data Protection Act requires them to ensure adequate security is in place in the call centre.

Smith warned that, depending on the outcome of its investigation, the ICO will consider whether it needs to use its formal enforcement powers to prevent incidents like this happening again in the future.

He said: "Ultimately this could include ordering a company to stop processing personal information outside the UK."