A cheap Covid test firm has leaked hundreds of selfies, passport scans and addresses of its customers.
Alpha Express Testing customers received a shocking email last week warning their data had been breached, Which? reports.
The customers, who legally had to buy covid tests to enter the UK, were told: "You recently used Alpha Express Testing for your day 2 Covid test to return to the UK. Alpha Express hasn’t told you that they have been sharing all the details you gave them on an unencrypted, exposed URL.
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"This includes your full name, home address, telephone number and an image of your passport and a selfie."
Alpha Express Testing was one of the cheapest providers of day two lateral flow tests on the official government list, selling them for just £9.44.
The details leaked were all of the typically used by criminals intending to carry out identity fraud.
Alpha Express Testing was warned of the issue on Thursday, January 14 and UKHSA (UK Health Security Agency) began investigating on Friday, January 15.
Over the weekend, Alpha Express Testing and its partner firm My Clear Test both stopped selling or registering tests. Confused customers weren’t told what the issue was.
Instead, when trying to register a test result, they saw a message saying the firms ‘had been advised to pause your test while UKHSA look into a matter’.
However, while My Clear Test is still offline for ‘essential maintenance’, Alpha Express Testing is back to selling and registering tests, even while some of its customers’ data is still exposed.
It hasn’t made any reference to the data leak, but there is a message on its website saying: ‘We have been made aware of a delay on verifications of LFD tests, if you are affected please bear with us as we are working through them’.
Both firms have been removed from the official government list.
Alpha Express Testing has been approached for comment by Which?
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