BookMyForex Breach: MakeMyTrip Unit Hit by Possible Cyberattack, Company Denies Incident
Published
Key Takeaways
- Breach Scope: BookMyForex, a subsidiary of MakeMyTrip, has reportedly suffered a significant security breach that could impact tens of millions of user records.
- Operational Disruption: Users are reporting critical service failures, including forex card balances showing zero and unauthorized debit notifications from remote locations.
- Threat Origin: Preliminary intelligence suggests the cyberattack may have originated from threat actors based in Brazil, though attribution remains unconfirmed.
An alleged BookMyForex security incident has impacted the sensitive financial data of customers. Sources familiar with the incident indicate that the Gurugram-based fintech company is grappling with a severe intrusion that has compromised user accounts and disrupted essential services.
While customers are unable to access platforms to lock their multi-currency forex cards issued by Yes Bank in partnership with BookMyForex, it remains unclear whether these anomalies represent actual fund theft or if hackers simply disrupted the systems.
Forex Card Hacking Reports Surface
The most alarming aspect of this incident involves reports of Yes Bank and BookMyForex forex card hacking. Numerous customers traveling abroad have reported that their prepaid forex card balances have suddenly plummeted to zero.
Furthermore, thousands of customers reported receiving SMS alerts about unauthorized international transactions – in U.S. dollars and Brazilian real. Yet, the incident was classified as “unauthorized transaction attempts” by the foreign exchange arm of MakeMyTrip (MMT), which stated the bank blocked transactions from a specific country and some cards.
A BookMyForex spokesperson told Mint there was no data breach affecting BookMyForex systems or customer data. “Yes Bank observed unusual volumes of false transaction attempts on Yes Bank-BookMyForex Multi-Currency Prepaid Forex Cards, which resulted in a high number of declined transactions,” the person said, adding that customer balances remain “fully secure.”
Investigation into Breach Origins
Early indicators suggest the intrusion may have originated in a region of Brazil, a known hub for financial cybercrime. However, definitive attribution is pending further forensic analysis. BookMyForex has publicly responded on X, stating there was no data breach and describing the activity as unauthorized transaction attempts escalated to its partner bank.
The company's customer support channels are currently overwhelmed, reporting a threefold increase in traffic as distressed travelers attempt to resolve issues with their funds. Despite these internal upheavals, the primary website remains accessible.
Last week, the French Government disclosed a major breach of the national bank account registry.
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