Hackers have accessed personal details of thousands of people who have used the French government’s ANTS platform for admin tasks such as swapping a driving licence or requesting a French passport.
In a statement published by the Interior Ministry on Monday, ANTS – renamed France Titres in 2024 – said that it had been the victim of a cyber attack that “involved the divulging of personal details” of users of the platform, which is used to request French passports or ID cards, or driving licences.
The most common use of the platform for foreigners in France is to exchange their driving licence for a French one.
ANTS clarified that there was no danger of accessing individual accounts on the site, or bank details, but personal details such as the full name, address, date of birth and email address of users may be at risk.
Anyone who has used the site is advised to be vigilant about fraud attempts, such as phishing emails or emails purporting to be from ANTS.
Security expert Yasmine Douadi told France Info: “We currently have surnames, first names, postal addresses, dates of birth and login details being circulated.
“We need to raise awareness among the public and those affected, because there is going to be a wave of phishing and scam attempts. These hackers will use channels such as emails and text messages that may prompt you to click on links, fill in forms or provide sensitive information to extort money from you.”
Any email or text message with a link to click on should be treated with caution, and users should log in directly to the website or platform that the email purports to be from, rather than clicking on links.
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