Data breach · July 2015

Was I in the Qatar National Bank breach?

Qatar National Bank is a bank in Qatar. Its breach happened in July 2015 and exposed 88,678 accounts. It included passwords, PINs, security questions and answers and bank account numbers and 12 other kinds of detail. If you had an account there by July 2015, check your address below to see whether it is one of them.

Breach record last updated . Steps read from the government pages at the foot of this page.

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01

What happened?

Qatar National Bank was breached in July 2015. Documents covering many accounts were exposed, including passwords and PINs. They became public some 9 months on, in April 2016, when they were posted to a site for sharing files. The data suggests the attack started through a SQL injection flaw on the bank's website.

Organisation
Qatar National Bank, a bank in Qatar (qnb.com)
When it happened
July 2015
Added to monitored breach databases
1 May 2016
Accounts in the data
88,678
What was exposed
passwords, PINs, security questions and answers, bank account numbers, financial transactions, government ID numbers, dates of birth, home addresses, phone numbers, customer feedback, genders, general locations, IP addresses (where you connected from), marital statuses, names and spoken languages
02

What was exposed, and what does it mean for me?

  • Your passwordpasswords, PINs and security questions and answers

    The password for this account was in the data, either as written or in a stored form that can often be reversed when the password is short or common. Anyone with the list can try it on your email, bank and shopping accounts.

  • Bank and money detailsbank account numbers and financial transactions

    Account numbers, balances and payment history let a scam call or email quote facts that only your bank should know.

  • Government ID numbersgovernment ID numbers

    With an ID number, someone can try to open credit, claim benefits or file a tax return in your name.

  • Identity detailsdates of birth and home addresses

    A date of birth and a home address are what a lender asks for when someone opens credit in your name. They do not change, so they stay useful to a fraudster for years.

  • Your phone numberphone numbers

    Expect texts and calls that use your real details to sound genuine. A phone number is also what a fraudster needs to try to move your service to their own SIM card.

  • Other detailscustomer feedback, genders, general locations, IP addresses (where you connected from), marital statuses, names and spoken languages

    On their own these carry less risk, but they make a scam message sound more personal.

03

What should I do now?

In this order, for what this breach exposed.

1. Change the password, and every reuse of it

  • Change your Qatar National Bank password if the account still exists. Then change the same password on every other account where you used it, starting with your email.
  • Use a different password for each account. A password manager makes that practical: it creates long passwords and remembers them for you.
  • Turn on a second sign-in step, such as a code from an app or a security key, for your email, bank and social accounts. Your email comes first, because every password reset goes to it.
  • Where you used the same security questions or hints elsewhere, change the answers to ones nobody could look up. They do not have to be true.

2. Tell your bank and watch the account

  • Watch your statements for payments you did not make, and tell your bank about the breach.
  • If someone calls quoting your account details, hang up and call the bank on the number you already have.

3. Treat the ID number as known

  • Watch for mail about accounts, benefits or tax filings you did not start.
  • In the US, if your Social Security number was among them, ask the IRS for an identity protection PIN. Nobody else can then file a tax return with your number.
  • In Canada, if your identity is used, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre lists Service Canada (1-800-622-6232) and the Canada Revenue Agency (1-800-959-8281) among the calls to make.

4. In the US: freeze your credit at all three bureaus

  • Place a credit freeze with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. It is free to place and to lift, and it does not affect your credit score.
  • If you would rather not freeze, a fraud alert lasts one year. You ask one bureau and it tells the other two.
  • If someone uses your details, report it at IdentityTheft.gov to get a recovery plan.

5. In Canada: check your credit file and lock it

  • Get your credit report from Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada. Both give it free online.
  • In Ontario, both bureaus must offer a security freeze free of charge, and each bureau is a separate request.
  • If you live in Quebec or Ontario, Equifax Canada will lock your credit report at no charge, online, by phone or by mail. Ask TransUnion Canada separately.
  • If your details are used to open an account, call your bank, report it to both bureaus, report it to your local police and get a file number, then report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (1-888-495-8501).

6. Protect your phone number

  • Ask your mobile carrier to put a PIN or passcode on your account, and ask whether it offers a lock on SIM changes and number transfers.
  • Treat texts about deliveries, accounts or payments with care. Do not tap the link: contact the company on a number you already have.
04

Is my address in it?

Enter your email address. We check that one address against monitored breach databases and show which breaches list it and what each exposed.

No account needed. We keep the address you check, when, and how many breach records it was found in, to prevent abuse, until you ask us to delete it. Privacy

Sources

Where does this come from?

Other breaches from 2015

All breaches Breaches from 2015 Breaches that exposed passwordsBreaches that exposed phone numbersBreaches that exposed home addressesBreaches that exposed dates of birthBreaches that exposed bank and money detailsBreaches that exposed government ID numbers