Revolut confirms ex-staffer KYC ransom threat, alerts police

What to Know:

- Ex-Revolut employee allegedly threatened leaking KYC data for crypto ransom.
- Company says systems weren’t breached; incident linked to former staffer.
- Matter referred to law enforcement; potential ICO and FCA oversight.
Revolut KYC ransom threat: regulatory scope and controls — Analysis

An ex-employee of Revolut allegedly threatened to leak Know Your Customer (KYC) data in exchange for a crypto ransom, in an incident the company has referred to law enforcement. As reported by Cointelegraph, Revolut said its systems and data protection protocols were not breached, and the behavior relates to an individual no longer employed at the firm.

Based on company statements cited in that report, the situation concerns potential insider misconduct rather than a compromise of production systems. In regulatory terms, oversight in the United Kingdom could involve the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) on data protection matters and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on prudential and conduct expectations for a regulated fintech, although no additional details were available at the time of reporting.

Editorial context: Revolut has stated that its systems were not breached, and the allegation involves an ex-employee’s threat rather than evidence of a successful leak. That distinction matters for assessing whether this rises to a reportable personal data breach and for understanding the role of insider-threat controls versus external intrusion.

"Our systems and data protection protocols were not breached," said Revolut.

On the facts provided, there is no confirmation that customer KYC records were accessed or leaked. Any regulatory notification duties, if applicable, would depend on whether personal data was actually accessed without authorization and the risk posed to individuals, which would be assessed by Revolut in view of ICO and FCA requirements.

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