Boots pulls Advantage Card payments as cyber crooks swoop

Boots has suspended payments using Advantage Card points in stores and online after a cyber attack.

The retailer said crooks had tried to access accounts with re-used passwords stolen from other sites. None of its own systems were compromised, it added. 

The issue affected less than 1% of the 14.4 million active Advantage Cards - fewer than 150,000 people.

"We are writing to customers if we believe that their account has been affected, and if their Boots Advantage Card points have been used fraudulently we will, of course, replace them," the retailer said in a statement.

The incident closely follows a similar issue that hit 600,000 Tesco Clubcard holders.

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