Sting reveals UK financial data sold in India

The report raised questions about data protection laws in India and demands that British companies bring back call centres to Britain.

The Serious Organised Crime Agency launched an investigation based on The Suns revelations that brokers in Gurgaon and Mumbai were offering such sensitive personal data for sale. The data can be misused to access funds from the accounts of unsuspecting British customers.

The Suns team bought the details of 1,000 British customers from the dealer for 250. The report said: We were given bank account details,personal data and credit card numbers with the three-digit CVV security code needed for use on the phone or web. There were even online account passwords.

We tracked down the dealer through a website where Indian traders with access to call centre data seek black market buyers.

The Sun team posed as villains setting up a dodgy insurance company in Nepal to target Britain.