Latest news with #Ministry of Defence
Sky News
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Victims of Afghan data leak receive scam emails offering tens of thousands in compensation, Sky News can reveal
Sky News can reveal that some Afghan data leak victims are being offered £86,000 in compensation, in what appears to be scam mail. The phishing email claims to come from the Ministry of Defence (MoD), offering a "compensation via a cheque", but the MoD has categorically denied any involvement. Sky News is aware that - at the very least - a small number of Afghans whose data were leaked have been sent this email. The true number of recipients could be a lot higher. The data list contained the details of almost 19,000 individuals It asks Afghans to "please take your id documents to verify your identity, otherwise you won't be paid". The news indicates at least some of the names and personal details on the leaked dataset have been seen by the email sender. 2:51 It raises questions about just who now has access to the leaked data of thousands of Afghan Relocations and Assistance Police (ARAP) applicants, and who is behind the phishing attempt. The MoD has confirmed the email is a scam, emphasising the email was not sent by the government. A spokesperson said: "This email has not been sent by the Ministry of Defence or any part of the UK government. "Following the February 2022 data incident under the previous government, we have taken appropriate action in line with the level of risk these individuals faced and will robustly defend against any legal action or compensation claims." The email starts with "OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE PERSONAL". It says: "I am writing to inform you that your case has been properly considered. We are sincerely sorry for the impact the recent data breach has had on you and your family. "As a result we are offering you compensation in the amount of £86,000. You can collect your compensation via a cheque, which can be processed at your local building society. We have shared your detail with bank, please take your id documents to verify your identity, otherwise you won't be paid". It is signed off "Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy Casework Team, MOD Head Office". There are typos in the email including in the line "we have shared your detail with bank", as well as other scam mail red flags like an urgent call to action regarding payment. It is not clear who the email is from or why it was sent. It comes after the personal information of nearly 19,000 people who applied for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) was released "in error" in February 2022 by a defence official. 0:45 Excerpts from a spreadsheet containing the data were posted anonymously on a Facebook group, before the MoD became aware of the breach in August 2023. It led to the imposition of a super-injunction in September 2023, which blocked all coverage of the leak. Defence Secretary John Healey offered a "sincere apology" on behalf of the government, calling it a "serious departmental error". Some 6,900 Afghans - comprising 1,500 people named on the list as well as their dependents - are being relocated to the UK as part of this programme, on top of the thousands moved here under the ARAP. The MoD said the relocation costs alone, directly linked to the data breach, will be around £850m. It has previously said: "We will robustly defend against any legal action or compensation. The independent Rimmer review concluded that it is highly unlikely that merely being on the spreadsheet would be grounds for an individual to be targeted, and this is the basis on which the court lifted its superinjunction."
Times of Oman
4 days ago
- Health
- Times of Oman
Citizen airlifted in South Al Sharqiyah to receive specialised treatment
Muscat : The Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) has carried out a medical evacuation for a female citizen from South Al Sharqiyah Governorate to Muscat Governorate. Ministry of Defence (MoD), said in a statement :"The Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) today conducted a medical evacuation operation for a female citizen whose health condition required her to be airlifted from Masirah Hospital in South Al Sharqiyah Governorate to Khoula Hospital in Muscat Governorate to receive the necessary specialised treatment."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Putin Is Tightening His Grip On Russia's Internet With Dramatic New Tactic, UK Says
Vladimir Putin is tightening his grip on the online information space in Russia by implementing regular blackouts, according to the UK. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) reported last week that the Kremlin has been rolling out extensive cellular (mobile) internet blackouts across its own country. A staggering 654 outages occurred just in June – nearly 10 times the amount recorded the previous month. 'These outages impacted coverage for over half the country,' the MoD said. 'The Russian government has formally stated that the blackouts are intended to block Ukrainian uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) reliant on cellular signals, but independent reports suggest the goal is tighter control over online information.' Fixed line or wired internet connections are rising as well, with a group of exile Russian journalists in The Medusa Project recording up to 20-21 day internet shutdowns in various regions across the whole nation. ATMs and digital payments have been disrupted, and public safety alerts have supposedly taking place as a consequence. The intelligence officials pointed out that at least one period of outages did align with a wave of drone strikes from Ukraine, when Russia claimed it had downed more than 200 Ukrainian weapons. But, as the Medusa Project said earlier this month, 'the seemingly random nature of the shutdowns makes it difficult to identify consistent patterns or a clear logic behind the authorities' decisions.' They added: 'Some regions that would logically be high-priority targets for Ukrainian strikes have experienced relatively few attacks, while others that fall outside all of these categories have been hit much more frequently.' Difficulty accessing the internet is not the only way Russian lives have been impacted by the brutal war. For the first time since the tradition began in 2017, Moscow called off the 'Day of the Russian Navy' parade meant to take place on Sunday. Historically, other nations would also attend on the Russian national holiday to compare all of their warships. British intelligence suggests this cancellation was due to 'force protection concerns'. And, of course, this is all on top of the astounding number of casualties the Russian army has endured since invading Ukraine in February 2022. As the MoD wrote: 'Even after enduring 1 million battlefield losses in Ukraine, its' clear that Russia has no plans to end the suffering of its illegal war. The Kremlin cares more about territorial conquest than peace in Europe.' These MoD updates come as American efforts to negotiate a Russian peace deal with Ukraine continue to struggle. However, US president Donald Trump is reportedly planning on raising the ongoing war with UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his current visit to Scotland. Before he departed for his trip, Trump told US reporters he is looking at imposing further sanctions on Russia. Related... UK Warns Russia Is 'Escalating Its Global Campaign' To Subvert Its Enemies Trump Renews Lie That Russia Did Not Help Him In 2016, With Tulsi Gabbard's Help Russia 'Increasing Pace Of Gains' In Ukraine Despite Trump's Peace Plea, Says UK
The Independent
7 days ago
- The Independent
Afghans exposed in huge MoD data leak could get thousands in compensation
Afghans whose details were exposed in a huge Ministry of Defence data leak, putting up to 100,000 people at risk, could get thousands of pounds each in compensation. Around 18,700 Afghans had their names and contact information breached when an MoD official emailed a secret database to trusted Afghan contacts in February 2022. The blunder, which was only discovered by the government in August 2023, resulted in some 16,000 Afghans being brought to safety in Britain as part of a covert operation, over fears they would be targeted by the Taliban. The database included details of Afghan applicants to the MoD's resettlement scheme, and the discovery of the leak sparked an unprecedented superinjunction, gagging the press and preventing any discussion of its very existence for nearly two years. Though some 3,700 principal applicants whose data was shared will be given sanctuary in Britain, the rest will not be helped after a government-commissioned review concluded that it was unlikely that 'merely being on the dataset would be grounds for targeting'. Now, hundreds have signed up for compensation claims against the MoD over the breach. One claim is being run by law firm Leigh Day, which represents at least 70 people and is taking on new claimants every day, estimating that their clients could get thousands of pounds each in compensation. Leigh Day partner, Sean Humber, said: "As the injunction was only lifted over a week ago, which is when those affected became aware that their personal data had been disclosed without their knowledge or consent, this claim is still at an early stage. "We expect the level of compensation to be in the thousands, although the exact amount is likely to vary and will probably be higher for those remaining in Afghanistan compared to those that have successfully relocated to the UK." Barings Law, a Manchester-based firm who are also organising a claim, reportedly has over 1,000 clients. Adnan Malik, head of data protection at the firm, claimed that their clients would get 'at least five figures'. Compensation claims often settle before they reach court, but the MoD has already said it will fight 'any legal action or compensation'. It will also not proactively hand out payouts to those Afghans who have been affected, despite offering up to £4,000 each for 265 Afghans impacted by a smaller data breach in 2021. One independent case worker, who supports Afghan resettlement applications, said: 'For people whose details were breached but have no hope of ever being found eligible for resettlement in the UK, a compensation payment will allow them to relocate – whether than be by funding passports and visas to another country, or internally in Afghanistan. 'Whilst the government may argue that we have no obligation to evacuate every family affected by the data breach, there is a duty of care to give them the means to improve the safety of their situation.' Sarah Fenby-Dixon, Afghanistan consultant at the Refugee Aid Network, said: "Compensation money will be useful to families, as many members of the former Afghan security forces feel they can't work for fear of being identified. This applied to both those affected by the leak and those not". A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: 'These are hypothetical claims, and we will robustly defend against any legal action or compensation. 'The independent Rimmer Review concluded that it is highly unlikely that merely being on the spreadsheet would be grounds for an individual to be targeted, and this is the basis on which the court lifted its super injunction this month.'
Russia Today
7 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
India and Maldives boost ties during Modi visit
India and the Maldives have agreed to boost bilateral ties during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to the island nation, with the South Asian neighbors signing eight agreements on Friday. Among the key agreements is a $565 million credit line from New Delhi to the debt-ridden island nation. 'This will be used for projects linked to infrastructure development in line with the priorities of the Maldivian people,' Modi said. The countries have also launched talks for a free trade agreement. In addition, a network-level agreement was concluded to bring India's flagship real-time payment system Unified Payments Interface to aid financial connectivity in the Maldives. President Muizzu and I inaugurated a new building of the Ministry of Defence in Malé. This is yet another instance of strong India-Maldives cooperation.@ The visit is Modi's third to the island nation and the first by a head of government during Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu's tenure. It follows a diplomatic row between the two nations after Muizzu won the 2023 election and demanded the withdrawal of Indian troops from the Maldives, calling India a 'bully.' A very warm welcome to His Excellency Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi to the Maldives. Today Prime Minister and I held productive talks where we focused on carrying forward the Maldives-India development partnership in key areas of common interest and on providing all the… After Muizzu assumed office in September 2023, the Maldives pursued a new policy direction, seeking to bolster ties with China and diversify its relationships, which was perceived as a strategic shift away from its traditional dependence on India. The relationship began to mend in October 2024, when India approved a $400 million currency swap agreement and a $100 million Treasury bill rollover to aid its neighbor. During his two-day visit to Male, Modi will attend the 60th anniversary celebrations of Maldivian independence. The countries will also commemorate 60 years of diplomatic relations. 'India is also proud to be the most trusted friend of the Maldives,' Modi said on Friday. 'Be it a disaster or a pandemic, India has always stood by as the 'First Responder.'''
