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Bloctel data leak exposes 3 million phone numbers ahead of shutdown

Yesterday 16:00

By: Sahili Aya

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France's Bloctel telephone-marketing opt-out service has been hit by a data leak affecting approximately three million phone numbers, just weeks before the system is scheduled to close.

The French Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF) confirmed the incident on Wednesday, while stressing that the Bloctel database itself had not been breached.

According to the authorities, a cybercriminal managed to obtain files containing millions of telephone numbers associated with the service. However, the compromised material reportedly did not include additional identifying information such as names or addresses.

Authorities urge consumers to remain cautious

The incident has nevertheless prompted a warning from French consumer protection authorities. People registered with Bloctel who may have been affected have been contacted directly by email.

The DGCCRF is advising consumers to pay particular attention to unexpected communications following the incident. Suspicious calls, messages or requests to perform an action should be treated cautiously, especially when they originate from an unknown source or ask recipients to provide information.

The authorities' warning reflects the potential risk associated with a large collection of telephone numbers falling into the hands of cybercriminals, even when names and addresses are not included.

A security incident before Bloctel closes

The leak comes at an awkward moment for Bloctel, which is due to be permanently discontinued under government plans linked to legislation aimed at tackling unwanted telephone marketing.

The service was created to allow consumers to register their telephone numbers on an opposition list and reduce unsolicited commercial calls. Its planned closure means that the latest security incident arrives as France is preparing to change the way telephone canvassing is regulated.

For the millions of consumers whose numbers were included in the leaked files, however, the immediate concern is more practical: distinguishing legitimate communications from potentially fraudulent or unwanted approaches.

No names or addresses reportedly exposed

The DGCCRF has sought to distinguish the incident from a complete compromise of the Bloctel database.

Based on the information released by the authorities, the leaked files contain telephone numbers but not personal details such as names or postal addresses. This limits the amount of information directly exposed, although authorities are still urging affected consumers to exercise caution.

The incident serves as a reminder that even a telephone number alone can become useful to individuals attempting to conduct unsolicited or deceptive campaigns.

As Bloctel approaches the end of its operation, affected consumers are being encouraged to remain alert to unusual calls and messages rather than responding to requests they did not initiate.