- Title: 'I live in constant fear' Bulgaria data breach victim says
- Date: 30th July 2019
- Summary: SOFIA, BULGARIA (JULY 28, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF APARTMENT BLOCKS VARIOUS OF 55-YEAR-OLD ENGINEER, MARIANA KRASTEVA, WHOSE PERSONAL DATA MAY BE COMPROMISED, WASHING DISHES (SOUNDBITE) (Bulgarian) 55-YEAR-OLD ENGINEER, WHOSE PERSONAL DATA MAY BE COMPROMISED, MARIANA KRASTEVA, SAYING: "What if someone claimed ownership of my apartment? I have to live in constant fear now about what is going to happen with me and it is all because of the negligence of government employees. We pay their salaries and they make us crazy with problems." KRASTEVA IRONING
- Embargoed: 13th August 2019 10:27
- Keywords: data breach cybersecurity in Bulgaria cyber attack personal data hacking
- Location: SOFIA, BULGARIA
- City: SOFIA, BULGARIA
- Country: Bulgaria
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001APYYG55
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Mariana Krasteva, a 55-year-old engineer, is one of more than four million Bulgarians, whose personal data was stolen in the country's biggest-ever cyber breach, leaving her fearful of what fraudsters might do with the information.
The leak has deeply unsettled many in the Balkan country of 7 million, one of the poorest and most corrupt European Union member states.
"I have to live in constant fear now," Krasteva said as she entered her details into a tool set up by the country's National Revenue Agency to check whether her personal information was included in the leak.
She said she was concerned that someone could claim ownership of her apartment and that she was intending to change her identity documents.
Prosecutors have charged the owner of a cybersecurity company and two of his employees with cyber-terrorism over the hacking of the country's tax agency and the theft of the personal and financial records of nearly every working adult.
The breach was made public on July 15, after an email with a link to the leaked data was sent to local media, calling the country's cybersecurity "a joke".
The tax agency said the leaked data was fragmented and not sufficient for eventual fraud. It has told banks to be extra vigilant and urged people not to change their ID cards.
(Production: Miroslav Roussinov, Malgorzata Wojtunik, Lewis Macdonald) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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