News

UK Visa Portal spilled thousands of applicants’ passports and selfies online — and hasn’t fixed the leak

Published

3 months ago

May 27, 2026

Preport

A website called UK Visa Portal is publicly exposing the passports and selfie photos of applicants who signed up and paid the site to obtain a U.K immigration visa, TechCrunch has learned.

An anonymous person notified TechCrunch about the security lapse, saying that the website is exposing at least 100,000 documents from people who uploaded their passports and selfies to the website as part of the application process.

The website is not affiliated with the U.K. government, and some have complained that they mistakenly paid a fee to this company instead of using the official GOV.UK website.

TechCrunch confirmed that UK Visa Portal is the source of the data leak and verified the authenticity of the exposed data by contacting affected individuals to ask if their information was accurate.

UK Visa Portal does not have a way to report security issues through its website, nor does its website provide names or contact information for the company’s management. TechCrunch sent an email to the address listed on UK Visa Portal’s website to alert the company that it has an ongoing security lapse and to ask who in management can accept specific details to resolve the issue. Given the sensitivity of the exposed data, TechCrunch explained that it could not share specifics with the company’s general customer support inbox because it could not guarantee that the exposed data would not be misused.

Instead, TechCrunch heard back from the company’s purported attorneys and public relations firm. TechCrunch explained again that given the nature of the exposed files, it could only share details directly with the company’s management, and asked that they put TechCrunch in touch with them.

TechCrunch has not heard back from UK Visa Portal’s management. The security lapse has still not been fixed.

While the security issue is ongoing, TechCrunch believes it’s in the public interest that people who use the company’s services are aware of the issue. TechCrunch is not publishing precise details in an effort to minimize any further risk to their information.

It is not necessary to use a third-party service to apply for a U.K. electronic travel authorization, unless you are retaining an immigration attorney, and applicants should apply through the U.K. government’s website.

Related Topics:Applicants fixed hasnt leak online passports portal selfies spilled thousands Visa

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2027: Only Atiku can match Tinubu, opposition will die if steps down – Aide

Published

2 hours ago

August 18, 2026

Preport

The Senior Political Assistant to the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Demola Olarewaju, on Tuesday said the momentum of the opposition would die if the former vice president stepped down from the presidential race ahead of 2027.

Olarewaju insisted that Atiku is the only candidate showing the capacity to match President Bola Tinubu locally and internationally.

Posting on X, he wrote: “Atiku steps down now and opposition momentum dies totally – an election with the incumbent as contestant is a different ballgame from a transition election.

“2027 is beyond Atiku. Atiku himself is the bridge for us to build and hold an opposition core, post-2027.

“Atiku is the only candidate showing capacity to match Bola Tinubu locally and internationally in 2027.

“Every election is unique and different and everyone should get ready.

“2023 went the way it did because Buhari wasn’t too invested in Tinubu’s victory, that’s why APC lost Lagos and communal rigging was allowed in many states.”

Business

Alleged Criminal Conversion: EFCC Recovers N4.4bn Worth of AGO in Lagos

Published

3 hours ago

August 18, 2026

Preport

The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, August 17, 2026 recovered 2.3 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil, AGO, valued at N4.485 billion from Mamemo Ibru of Ibafon Oil and Gas, during an investigation into an alleged case of stealing and criminal conversion.

The recovery followed a petition submitted by Prudent Energy and Services Limited, alleging that petroleum products entrusted to Ibafon Oil and Gas for storage had been unlawfully converted, resulting in a significant shortfall in the company’s stock.

The petitioner also alleged that periodic withdrawals were made from the stored products until the outstanding balance stood at 2,574,031 litres.

However, during a subsequent physical measurement and reconciliation exercise, only 206,761 litres remained in the storage tanks, leaving a deficit of 2,367,270 litres.

Investigation revealed that Ibafon Oil and Gas is involved in the purchase and sale of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and also stores its petroleum products at the same depot alongside products belonging to its customers.

It was further revealed that Ibru allegedly used his position as the owner of Ibafon Oil and Gas to truck out petroleum products in excess of the quantity owned by the company, thereby converting the petitioner’s products for his own use.

Following the Commission’s intervention, the suspect handed over the recovered products to the petitioner, Prudent Energy and Services Limited.

The post Alleged Criminal Conversion: EFCC Recovers N4.4bn Worth of AGO in Lagos appeared first on Business Today NG.