Flipkart users advised to reset passwords after security issues

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
May 13, 2021

Online shoppers with Flipkart accounts are being urged to reset their passwords as a large amount of leaked data from e-commerce store BigBasket can also be used to hack into Flipkart accounts. 

 
“It seems, some people are selling BigBasket Email:Password combinations as Flipkart data,” tweeted independent cyber security expert Rajashekhar Rajaharia. “People are using the same password for all websites. Almost all emails are matching with BigBasket database. Change your Flipkart passwords asap.”
 
Much of the data also matches with Amazon accounts but there is less risk of hacking as Amazon sends an OTP for login when there is change in browser, the Press Trust of India reported. People with access to the hacked Flipkart account login information would be able to send unauthorised payment transactions from the Flipkart customers’ accounts.  

Last year, the online shopping boom during the pan-India lockdown also led to an increase in cyber crime. In November, 2020, US-based online intelligence business Cyble reported that BigBasket had experienced a potential data breach of over 20 million users which BigBasket investigated. 
 
Rajaharia also tweeted that online shoppers should use two-factor authentication to secure their accounts and urged Flipkart to increase its security. As a lack of trust in the safety of online shopping has been a barrier to bringing customers online, it is an important issue for the industry as a whole.