Data breach did not compromise credit card numbers, online travel agency says

Online travel agency ezTravel yesterday said that no credit card numbers were compromised in a data breach affecting more than 690,000 members, but urged customers to remain vigilant against potential scams.

In a statement, ezTravel said that on Saturday, it detected unusual external network activity targeting its membership system and took immediate steps to block the suspicious traffic.

The company also hired an independent cybersecurity team to investigate the incident and conduct a digital forensic analysis, it said.

The logo of travel agency ezTravel is pictured at its branch in Taipei in an undated photograph.

Photo: CNA

Based on its preliminary investigation, ezTravel said information from some past bookings had been improperly accessed, potentially exposing members’ names, e-mail addresses, phone numbers and purchase details.

The company said it has reported the incident to the appropriate government agencies and police in accordance with personal data protection laws.

The breach did not involve credit card numbers, security codes, account passwords, passport numbers or national identification numbers, ezTravel said.

The breach had not affected the security of customers’ payments, the company added.

The company apologized for causing concern among consumers and pledged to safeguard customers’ personal information.

It said it has notified affected customers by text message and e-mail, warning that scammers might impersonate customer service or bank representatives to obtain credit card details or verification codes, or trick customers into using ATMs or clicking suspicious links.

It said it would never ask customers to disclose account passwords or verification codes, or use ATMs to cancel installment payments.