Cab app Uber has admitted the details of 57 million customers were stolen during in a hack in 2016 - here's what you need to know.

The company's chief executive officer Dara Khosrowshahi said the names, email addresses and mobile phone numbers from Uber users around the world, and the details of 600,000 USA drivers, were downloaded by hackers in October 2016.

He said he only found out about the hack recently, and ordered a full investigation into how it was handled at the time including why drivers, customers and regulators were not told.

For full help on how the scheme works, who's eligible and how to claim see our 30+ Ways to Stop Scams guide.

I use Uber - what should I do?

Uber says information including names, email addresses and mobile phone numbers were taken, but has not yet confirmed how many of these were from UK customers.

It says: "Our outside forensics experts have not seen any indication that trip location history, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, social security numbers or dates of birth were downloaded.

"While we have not seen evidence of fraud or misuse tied to the incident, we are monitoring the affected accounts and have flagged them for additional fraud protection."

There are a number of things you can do to try and protect yourself if you're worried:

  • Regularly check your Uber account - if you notice anything unusual click 'help' in your app, then 'account and payment options' and select 'I have an unknown charge' and then 'I think my account has been hacked.'
  • Watch out for scams - Be alert and watch out for potential scam emails or calls.
  • Change your password - Uber has not said if any passwords were taken, but if you're worried change your password, and change it on other sites where you have used the same one.

What does Uber say?

Khosrowshahi said: "You may be asking why we are just talking about this now, a year later. I had the same question, so I immediately asked for a thorough investigation of what happened and how we handled it.

"None of this should have happened, and I will not make excuses for it. While I can’t erase the past, I can commit on behalf of every Uber employee that we will learn from our mistakes. We are changing the way we do business, putting integrity at the core of every decision we make and working hard to earn the trust of our customers."

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