Revolut Reports Hackers Obtained Passport Scans and Full Transaction Histories via Bogus Government Request

The London‑based fintech Revolut has acknowledged that a cyber breach revealed customers' passport scans and their entire transaction records after the firm complied with a counterfeit request posing as an official government body.

In its statement, Revolut explained that the misleading request seemed to originate from a legitimate authority, leading its staff to release the demanded information. Later probing showed that the data had been seized by unauthorised parties, giving them possession of highly sensitive personal documents and a complete ledger of users' financial activity.

Serving millions of customers throughout Europe and beyond, Revolut has marketed itself as a safe substitute for conventional banks. Yet the incident underscores the ongoing difficulty fintech companies encounter in protecting data from ever‑more advanced social‑engineering schemes. Although the company has not revealed how many accounts were impacted, it stressed that the breached data comprises passport copies and a comprehensive transaction log.

To address the situation, Revolut has initiated an internal forensic audit, brought in outside cybersecurity specialists, and alerted the appropriate data‑protection regulators. It is also contacting the impacted users, advising them to keep an eye on their accounts for any irregularities and to update their authentication details if needed. Further safeguards, including tighter checks on external data requests, are being implemented to avert a repeat.

The breach comes as a global surge of cyber attacks on financial institutions continues, leading regulators to examine adherence to data‑privacy rules like the EU’s GDPR. Analysts warn that the episode may invite heightened regulatory scrutiny and possible fines should systemic flaws be uncovered. For customers, the incident is a cue to stay alert, routinely check account statements, and keep abreast of the security measures employed by the services they rely on.