An uncensored, leaked Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) report revealed that HMRC, BT and British Gas were subject to personal data breaches by private investigators.
The original 2008 report was published in an edited form last year by the House of Commons home affairs committee, but the investigative news agency Exaro recently obtained an unredacted version.
The report, 'Private investigators: The rogue element of the private investigation industry and others unlawfully trading in personal data' documents how private operators targeted the Revenue as one of the most “valuable” sources of information for those trying to trace a person.
As well as getting details from HMRC of income and tax paid by individuals, the report explains how investigators also got back account details of British Gas and BT customers.
Investigators charge around £100 to get income and tax paid from HMRC and use techniques such as ‘blagging’, where they ring HMRC purporting to be someone else.
One previously censored paragraph contained information about the sources used by investigators to procure personal information. These “corrupt individuals” included serving and former police officers, a public service employee, a bank employee, employees in a communications service provider and an HM Prison Service employee.
Some private investigators were able to delete intelligence records from law enforcement databases, while eBlaster software was also used to and send tracker virus attachments in emails. When opened, the attachment allows the sender to monitor the recipient’s computer usage, including social media posts.
More than 200 people or companies are thought to be involved in the hacking and blagging by investigators who gathered information illegally.
A list of 102 names has been passed to the home affairs select committee by SOCA and reportedly Scotland Yard has another list of 200 who feature in ongoing criminal investigations.
Keith Vaz MP has written to various regulators, including the ICAEW, to request clarification on what guidelines they issue to industry organisations on the use of private investigators.
Last week, home secretary Theresa May announced a regulation for private investigators, making it necessary for them to obtain a licence by the Security Industry Association. The scheme will start next year.
Private investigators, with the exception of journalists, working without a licence, can expect jail or fines.
The HMRC data breach came under scrutiny in AccountingWEB’s Money laundering and crime discussion group.
“I think government employees do not have the first clue about confidentiality or independence,” said the Black Knight.
“It seems that there is at least one decent cove working within SOCA, that’s the only way such a document got out of there,” added George Gretton.