Flight Centre's $123k attack by hackers

Photo / file

Pair accused of accessing Flight Centre computer system for customers' card details.

Travel agency Flight Centre has lost more than $120,000 through fraudulent activity in its computer systems.

Peni Tauake Tulimaiau, 30, and Dina Kais Jan appeared in court yesterday accused of accessing Flight Centre's database to cause loss to the travel company.

Court documents allege the pair accessed the computer systems of Flight Centre and Mastercard Cash Passports - a pre-paid currency card - 111 times between December 2012 and November last year.

Tulimaiau and Jan are accused of causing losses to the company totalling more than $123,000.

"[They] directly accessed a computer system, namely the computer systems of Flight Centre and Mastercard Cash Passports ... and dishonestly and without claim of right caused loss to Flight Centre," the charging documents read.

Flight Centre has chosen not to discuss the breach of its computer system, saying only: "As the case is currently before the courts we cannot comment."

It would not clarify whether the two accused were Flight Centre employees, whether customers' details are safe, or if its computer systems have been made more secure since the breach.

A spokeswoman for MasterCard said: "If MasterCard cardholders have questions about their accounts or suspect they have been a victim of a fraudulent activity, they should immediately contact the financial institutions that issued their cards."

An earlier version of this story was illustrated with a file photo. The people pictured had nothing to do with this alleged crime.