Gambling websites Paddy Power and Betfair confirm data breach

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Paddy Power and Betfair, two major online gambling platforms owned by Flutter Entertainment, have confirmed a data incident affecting up to 800,000 users.

While the company assures customers that no passwords or financial details were compromised, cybersecurity experts are sounding the alarm about the heightened risk of targeted phishing attacks.

The breach exposed personal information including IP addresses, email addresses, and online activity data. Although Flutter Entertainment stated the incident is contained and advised users to “remain vigilant,” security professionals warn that this seemingly innocuous data could be a goldmine for cybercriminals.

Experts like Harley Morlet, chief marketing officer at Storm Guidance, caution that the stolen data could be used to craft highly convincing spear phishing emails. These personalized messages might reference users’ betting habits, making them appear legitimate and increasing the likelihood of victims clicking on malicious links or divulging sensitive financial information.

“With the advent of AI, I think it would actually be very easy to build out a large-scale automated attack, focusing on crafting messages that look appealing to those gamblers,” Morlet explained.

Tim Rawlins, director at the NCC Group, echoed these concerns, advising customers to be wary of emails that seem “too good to be true” or request personal banking details. He highlighted a growing trend in the sophistication of phishing attempts, noting that AI is making it increasingly difficult to distinguish fraudulent messages from genuine communications.

While Flutter Entertainment serves 4.2 million average monthly players across its UK and Ireland brands, including Sky Bet and Tombola, the focus remains on the potential misuse of the compromised data. Users are urged to exercise extreme caution and verify the authenticity of any suspicious communications, especially those prompting them to share personal or financial information.

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