Leading foreign currency seller Travelex has been forced to take its websites offline following a cyber-attack.

 

The group said it took down its online systems to protect data and prevent the software virus spreading after discovering the attack on New Year’s Eve.

 

Travel money services for several UK banks were affected by Travelex going offline. The affected banks include Sainsbury's Bank, Barclays and HSBC, among others, which all use the Travelex platform.

 

There is no indication when the Travelex website will be restored. "This website is temporarily unavailable while we make upgrades to improve our service to you. We are sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience," says the website.

 

The company delivers the foreign currency to stores for customers to collect, as well as operating the software that is used to buy the travel money. But Travelex's decision to take down its site has meant the firms that use its services cannot sell currency online.

 

In a statement on Thusday, Travelex boss Tony D'Souza said: "We regret having to suspend some of our services in order to contain the virus and protect data."

 

The company has resorted to carrying out transactions manually, providing foreign-exchange services over the counter in its branches.

 

"We apologise to all our customers for any inconvenience caused as a result," D'Souza said in a statement.