Fri Sep 20 07:07:07 UTC 2024: ## Stolen Data From India’s Largest Health Insurer Sold on Telegram Chatbots

**New Delhi, India** – Sensitive customer data, including medical reports, belonging to Star Health and Allied Insurance, India’s largest health insurer, has been found publicly accessible via chatbots on the messaging platform Telegram.

The discovery comes just weeks after Telegram founder Pavel Durov was accused of allowing the app to be used for criminal activities.

A security researcher alerted Reuters to the issue, revealing that a chatbot creator, known as “xenZen,” claimed to possess 7.24 terabytes of data related to over 31 million Star Health customers. This data, including policy documents, claims information, names, phone numbers, addresses, tax details, ID copies, test results and medical diagnoses, was offered for sale in bulk or accessible for free on a piecemeal basis through the chatbot.

Reuters was able to download numerous documents, some dated as recently as July 2024, verifying the existence of the leaked data. While xenZen’s claims and the origin of the data remain unverified, the insurer confirmed they are investigating the incident and reported it to local authorities.

Star Health maintains that their initial assessment indicates no widespread compromise and that sensitive customer data remains secure. However, the incident highlights the challenges Indian companies face in safeguarding their data and the difficulty Telegram faces in preventing its technology from being used for criminal activities.

The widespread availability of this data on Telegram, through the use of chatbots, raises serious concerns about the security of sensitive personal information. Users of Star Health insurance have expressed concern and alarm regarding the potential impact of this data breach.

While Telegram has taken down the chatbots in question, the incident underscores the need for greater security measures and robust content moderation on platforms like Telegram, where the potential for data breaches and exploitation remains high.

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