Several hundred Bank of Bermuda accounts were closed yesterday and cards cancelled as an overseas retailer reported a breach in customer security.

Bank spokeswoman Susan Jackson said: "Bank of Bermuda received notification from Visa and MasterCard that an overseas vendor has been compromised and that a number of Visa and MasterCard accounts may have been affected, including a number of cards issued by the Bank of Bermuda.

"Bank of Bermuda is working to safeguard our customers by contacting them directly, closing the compromised accounts immediately and issuing replacement cards and numbers."

However, because of the volume of customers impacted not everyone was reached yesterday. Anyone whose card ceased working over the weekend or yesterday should contact the bank to order a replacement card.

Ms Jackson did not say how many customers were impacted or whether the breach affected both credit and debit cards.

But The Royal Gazette understands credit and debit card users were affected, with a bank employee adding that several hundred customers have been impacted.

A spokeswoman said: "We remind our clients to review their statements vigilantly for fraudulent transactions and to contact us immediately at 299-5959 if they detect anything suspicious."