Beware of Targeted Scams Using Recently Leaked Phone Numbers
Posted: Tue May 20, 2025 8:35 am
The pervasive issue of phone number data leaks has a particularly significant and often severe impact on users in Bangladesh. This is due to a confluence of factors, including the widespread adoption of mobile-first digital services, the deep integration of phone numbers with national identity systems, and specific socio-economic vulnerabilities.
1. Direct Exposure from Large-Scale National Breaches
Bangladesh has unfortunately been hit by major data breaches that directly exposed the phone numbers of millions of its citizens. The most prominent example is the 2023 Bangladesh Government website data breach, where vast amounts of highly sensitive personal information, including:
Dates of birth, parents' and grandparents' names, and other highly detailed records.
This particular leak, reportedly originating from a government website, was not a result of a sophisticated hack but rather inadequate security measures. The data, connecting individuals directly to their senegal phone number list primary identification and contact details, subsequently became accessible on various platforms, including certain Telegram channels. Such incidents mean a significant portion of the Bangladeshi population has had their foundational personal data compromised.
2. Amplified Risk for Mobile Financial Services (MFS) Fraud
Bangladesh boasts one of the world's most vibrant Mobile Financial Services (MFS) sectors, with platforms like bKash, Nagad, and Rocket being indispensable for daily transactions. These services are almost universally linked to mobile phone numbers for user identification and transaction authentication. Leaked phone numbers create critical vulnerabilities here:
1. Direct Exposure from Large-Scale National Breaches
Bangladesh has unfortunately been hit by major data breaches that directly exposed the phone numbers of millions of its citizens. The most prominent example is the 2023 Bangladesh Government website data breach, where vast amounts of highly sensitive personal information, including:
Dates of birth, parents' and grandparents' names, and other highly detailed records.
This particular leak, reportedly originating from a government website, was not a result of a sophisticated hack but rather inadequate security measures. The data, connecting individuals directly to their senegal phone number list primary identification and contact details, subsequently became accessible on various platforms, including certain Telegram channels. Such incidents mean a significant portion of the Bangladeshi population has had their foundational personal data compromised.
2. Amplified Risk for Mobile Financial Services (MFS) Fraud
Bangladesh boasts one of the world's most vibrant Mobile Financial Services (MFS) sectors, with platforms like bKash, Nagad, and Rocket being indispensable for daily transactions. These services are almost universally linked to mobile phone numbers for user identification and transaction authentication. Leaked phone numbers create critical vulnerabilities here: