Imran Rahman-Jones and Graham Fraser were the technology reporters who shed light on a recent incident involving holiday park company Center Parcs. The company had removed links to its old X account from its website after a man named Carl Lennon took over the account and started receiving messages from genuine customers. Center Parcs had deleted its X account in January, making the @CenterParcsUK handle available for registration.
Upon noticing the available handle, IT consultant Carl Lennon registered an X account with this name and began receiving messages from customers asking to make changes to their bookings. Center Parcs, after being contacted by BBC News, acknowledged that the links to the old X account should have been removed from its website when it stopped using the account. A company spokesperson stated that Center Parcs deactivated the X account as it was no longer considered an effective channel.
Mr. Lennon, who had intended to book a holiday with Center Parcs, decided against it after discovering that the company was still linking to the inactive X account on its website. He expressed concerns about handing over his data for a booking due to security issues. Companies commonly use social media accounts for customer support, which includes addressing requests like changing dates, modifying payments, and adding more individuals to bookings.
Despite attempting to contact Center Parcs through various channels, Mr. Lennon had trouble getting a response. He expressed surprise at the delayed reaction, especially considering the potential risks of someone malicious taking advantage of the situation. After being informed by BBC News that the link had been removed, he decided to deactivate the X account altogether. The incident highlighted the importance of companies maintaining secure and up-to-date online channels for customer interaction
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