A German court says the banks are responsible for damages arising from unauthorised interception of confidential data

A German court has ruled that banks are liable for phishing attacks on customers, reports Spiegel.

A judgment of the Amtsgericht (lowest court) at Wiesloch says the banks are responsible for damages arising from unauthorised interception of confidential data (phishing).

An online banking customer wanted to make a payment transaction from her home but malicious hackers hijacked her account and emptied it of 4,000 Euros.

The court based its decision on the fact that the payment demonstrably did not come from the customer.

"The bank bears the forgery risk of the transfer order," the judgment said.