Last week was not a good one for the 172-year old Assurer.
News of a rather embarrassing Ombud determination was followed by the news that unauthorised access was gained to some of its client data.
“Old Mutual detected unauthorised entry to one of our systems, which has led to some personal customer information being accessed.”
“We moved swiftly to close access to the targeted system. Our control processes kicked in to safeguard customer portfolios and we can confirm that no customers incurred any financial loss.”
“No transactional details, credit card information, banking details, medical information or passwords were accessed. Immediate steps were taken to further tighten our security, and our systems and surveillance remain on high alert.”
“We would like to sincerely apologise for any concern this may raise with our customers. We view this case in a very serious light – one customer is one too many. We assure you we are conducting stringent reviews to ensure that no incident of this nature is repeated.”
Whilst the assurer pointed out that the affected clients constituted “less than 0.5%” of its clients, the actual number of 30 000 is a concern.
One client that we spoke to advised that he was contacted telephonically by someone claiming to be from Old Mutual Audit.
Old Mutual contacted all clients, as well as brokers whose clients were affected. It also provided the following assistance to affected parties:
- A dedicated webpage with answers to frequently asked questions
- A dedicated customer line: 0860 515 515
A dedicated email (omconfirmation@oldmutual.com) for customer questions or information they may wish to share.
