Hacking of Basic

The Basic Fit chain, established throughout Europe, has announced to the AFP that it has suffered a massive hacking involving banking information.

The Dutch company, a leader in sports clubs in Europe since 2019, stated at the beginning of the week that approximately “one million members” may have been affected by this hack. Here’s what we know, 24 hours after Basic-Fit’s statements.

What data are concerned?

Basic-Fit announces to AFP (via Le Monde) that an “unauthorized access to the system that records the passages of members in Basic-Fit clubs” has been noticed in recent days. According to the headquarters, this intrusion allowed the hackers to acquire a certain amount of personal data, more or less sensitive. In detail, “membership information, names and addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, and banking information” are all affected – without further details on the nature of these banking details.

“No passwords were compromised,” reassures the chain, adding that members’ identity documents are never stored on their servers. “The members whose data are affected have been informed,” concludes Basic-Fit in its press release to the agency. If you are a subscriber, remember to check your email address to see if your account is among those compromised by cybercriminals.

Less than one in five subscribers affected

With around 5.8 million claimed members in its 2,150 European clubs, Basic-Fit sees its reputation tarnished by nearly a fifth of its subscribers. It’s uncommon for hackers to obtain bank account numbers in such breaches. This detail may highlight a certain lack of diligence on the part of the Dutch company in protecting the most sensitive data of its clientele.

Basic-Fit says they are closely monitoring “if the downloaded data is made public” with the help of cybersecurity experts. Regardless, the damage is done. As usual in such cases, it is crucial to remain vigilant, especially when it comes to clicking on links that may be included in emails. The goal of hackers is to carry out sophisticated scams based on identity theft. It is essential never to disclose sensitive information, such as a password or banking details, to an untrustworthy source. You can contact your bank for more detailed advice on protecting yourself against online fraud.

Basic-Fit joins the endless list of companies that have been hacked in recent months. This data breach comes a few months after the one at MaSalleDeSport, a service provider for many sports chains in France – which includes Basic-Fit among its clients.