Suspect in Huazhu Group client data theft apprehended

Police in Shanghai captured a man suspected of stealing customer information from hotel management company Huazhu Group, the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau said on Wednesday.

The suspect, surnamed Liu, 30, hacked into the hotel operator system to steal customer information. He tried to sell the information on foreign websites but failed, the bureau said on their official Weibo account.

The case is under further investigation and people or organizations that failed to protect internet security will be dealt with according to the law, the bureau said.

In August 2017, nearly 500 million pieces of customer-related information from the hotel operator emerged in an online post, which included customer registration information, personal data and booking records.

The Shanghai-based company operates 18 brands in China.