Brinztech Alert: Algeria Telecom Breached; Customer “Full Kits” (PII, Address, Phone) For Sale; High Risk of Mass “SIM-Swap” Attacks

Dark Web News Analysis

The dark web news reports the alleged sale of a large customer database from Algérie Télécom (Algeria Telecom), the national state-owned telecommunications carrier of Algeria. An attacker is advertising the database for sale for a very low price of $450 on a hacker forum, providing samples to prove its authenticity.

This is a high-severity, national-level PII breach. The low price is a “flash sale” tactic to ensure rapid, widespread distribution to all threat actors.

The leaked data is a “full kit” for mass identity theft and financial fraud, allegedly containing:

• Full PII (Names, id, sid, uuid).
• Contact Info (phone, address, city, country, zip code).
• Internal Data (notes) (!!!) (This field is highly critical as it may contain internal employee notes about customers, e.g., “VIP customer,” “Govt employee,” “complaint_filed,” etc.).

Key Cybersecurity Insights

This is a high-severity incident with an immediate, high probability of targeted, mass financial fraud. The primary threat stems from this specific data (PII + Phone) being stolen from this specific type of company (a national telecom).

1. CATASTROPHIC: “SIM-Swap Goldmine” (The #1 Threat): This is the most immediate and dangerous threat. The attacker now has all the secret PII (Full Name, Address, ID) that Algeria Telecom’s own employees use to verify a customer’s identity over the phone.
   • The Attack: An attacker calls Algeria Telecom, impersonates [Victim Name], and uses this real, stolen PII to “pass” the security check. They then claim their phone was “lost” and ask to “swap” the victim’s phone number (SIM) to a new SIM card controlled by the attacker.
   • “Game Over”: The attacker now controls the victim’s phone number. They use this to bypass 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) on all other accounts. Their first target will be the victim’s bank account, which they can now drain, unchallenged.
2. IMMEDIATE Risk 2: “Hyper-Targeted Vishing” Goldmine: (As noted). The attacker now has the perfect social engineering script.
   • The Scam: “Bonjour [Victim Name], this is Algérie Télécom security. We are calling about your internet service at [Real Address]. We’ve detected an issue. To confirm your identity, please…”
   • This scam is lethally effective because it uses multiple, real, secret data points to create 100% trust.
3. National-Level / Espionage Risk: This is a national telecom. This database is a “who’s who” of Algeria. It’s a “hit list” for foreign intelligence services to find and profile Algerian citizens, including (potentially) government officials, military members, journalists, and dissidents who are all customers. The notes field is a high-value target for this.
4. Severe Regulatory Failure (Algeria – Law 18-07): This is a severe data breach under Algeria’s Law No. 18-07 (On the Protection of Personal Data).
   • Regulator: The company is legally required to report this breach to the ANDP (Autorité Nationale de Protection des Données Personnelles) and the ARPCE (Telecom Regulator).
   • Failure to protect this PII will result in significant fines and regulatory action.

Mitigation Strategies

This is a customer fraud and regulatory emergency. The data is public.

For Algeria Telecom (The Company):

• MANDATORY (Priority 1): Activate “Assume Breach” IR Plan: (As suggested). This is a “Code Red.” Engage a DFIR (Digital Forensics) firm NOW to verify the data, find the vector, and hunt for persistence.
• MANDATORY (Priority 2): Report to Regulators: Immediately report this breach to the ANDP and ARPCE as required by Law 18-07.
• MANDATORY (Priority 3): Harden SIM-Swap Procedures NOW: This is the most urgent mitigation. The company must temporarily freeze or harden all SIM-swap requests, requiring (for example) in-person ID verification only for the next 30 days to stop the imminent, mass fraud wave.
• MANDATORY (Priority 4): Notify All Customers: (As suggested). This is a legal requirement. The notification must be transparent about the PII/Address leak and warn explicitly of the high risk of “SIM-swap” and “bank-impersonation” vishing scams.

For Affected Customers (The Real Victims):

• CRITICAL (Priority 1): Secure Your SIM NOW: This is the #1 priority. Immediately contact Algeria Telecom (or your mobile carrier) and add a high-security “Port-Out PIN” or “Verbal Password” to your account. This is the only thing that will stop a SIM-swap attack.
• CRITICAL (Priority 2): Phishing/Vishing Alert: TRUST NO ONE. (As suggested). Assume all unsolicited calls, texts, or emails from “Algérie Télécom” or your bank are SCAMS, even if they know your full name and address. NEVER give information over the phone. HANG UP and call the official number on your bill.
• CRITICAL: Monitor Bank Accounts: Check your bank accounts daily for any unauthorized activity.

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Questions or Feedback? This analysis is based on threat intelligence from a dark web forum. A breach of a national telecom, leaking the PII used for verification, is a catastrophic event that enables mass “SIM-swap” 2FA-bypass attacks. Brinztech provides cybersecurity services worldwide and do not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of external claims. For any inquiries or to report this post, please email: contact@brinztech.com