Your personal information is for sale: Call centre edition

The BBC reports that

One in 10 of Glasgow's financial call centres has been infiltrated by criminal gangs, police believe.

The scam works by planting staff inside offices or by forcing current employees to provide sensitive customer details.

The information is then used to steal identities and fraudulently set up accounts or transfer money...

Det Ch Insp Derek Robertson of Strathclyde Police told the BBC's Newsnight Scotland programme that there were a large number of call centres in the Glasgow area...

"I would say approximately 10% have been infiltrated in the past and we are working very hard to reduce that number."

Detectives believe that criminal crews are sent out to recruit volunteers to work in the centres.

Once they agree, they are asked to supply financial information in return for a fee.

Another tactic is to identify pubs where call centre workers visit and intimidate the employees to pass on the details.

Det Ch Insp Robertson said: "There are a number of different ways to do it.

"We know of organised crime groups who are placing people within the call centres so that they can steal customers' data and carry out fraud and money laundering.

"We also know of employees leaving the call centres and being approached and coerced, whether physically, violently or by being encouraged to make some extra money.

"And of course you have the disgruntled employee who may turn their hand to fraud just to benefit themselves."

Expect data retention to be a goldmine for criminals.