News from around the globe that the newspapers seldom print

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While I agree with most of the material passed on I may not be in agreement with all. However there is much we can learn from some that we disagree with. Remember it was once thought that the earth was flat.

It is left to your judgment to determine what you agree with and what to act upon.

Britains' bank secrets sold by workers at Indian call centres
By Ben Fenton
(Filed: 23/06/2005)

Police in the City of London said last night that they would investigate allegations that call centre workers in India were selling confidential details of British bank account holders, and their passport and credit card numbers.

The accusations suggested that the information would give identity thieves free rein to defraud thousands of bank customers.

In April, a racket involving three people working at a call centre in Pune, near Bombay, operated by America's Citibank was broken up after the gang stole about £200,000 from the accounts of New York-based customers.

The allegations that surfaced last night arose from a "sting" operation by an undercover newspaper reporter who contacted a middleman in New Delhi.

The reporter claimed that by paying the man £2,750 he obtained account details, passwords, security numbers and numerous other details. This would make the 1,000 Britons involved vulnerable to having their accounts raided or credit cards "cloned".

The details bought by the Sun reporter were said to have included the usually secret answers to special security questions which are supposed to be fail-safe proof that the person on the telephone is entitled to gain access to the money in a British account and transfer it anywhere in the world.

The Sun said its contact boasted that he could provide details of 200,000 bank accounts a month and claimed that information came from more than one call centre.

There are thought to be more than 300,000 people working in India in call centres supporting British industries, including insurance and investment companies.