The Dubai-based ride-hailing platform Careem, which is popular in Lebanon, announced in a
that its system got hacked and the data of 14 million users were stolen. The company detected a breach in the computer system on January 14. The online criminals gained access to the data of customers and drivers: name, email address, phone number and trip data. Those who have signed up with Careem since that date are not affected. Careem immediately reached out to cybersecurity experts to strengthen the security systems. The company is also working with law enforcement agencies. The company advises users to follow these steps to protect their personal information:
- Use a strong and a password and avoid using the same password for multiple sites.
- Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from unfamiliar emails.
- Always review your bank account and credit card statements for suspicious activity.
- Do not give your personal information to unknown sources.
“We apologize for what has happened but rest assured, Careem has learned from this experience and will come out of it a stronger and more resilient organization,” the company said in a
. The ride-sharing company announced the data leak now because the team wanted to make sure it has the most accurate information before notifying people.
