Barclays and Regulators Look at Possible Theft of Customer Data

The headaches keep coming for Barclays.

The bank, one of the largest in Britain, announced on Sunday that it was investigating the possible theft and sale of personal data concerning at least 2,000 customers. British regulators also are looking into the case.

Barclays said an initial investigation suggested that the breach was limited to customers from its financial planning business, which was closed in 2011. The personal data appears to have been collected from 2008 and earlier, the bank said in a statement. Barclays said it was notifying customers that their information might have been stolen.

“Protecting our customers’ data is a top priority, and we take this issue extremely seriously,” Giles Croot, a Barclays spokesman, said. “This appears to be criminal action, and we will cooperate with the authorities on pursuing the perpetrator.”

The Financial Conduct Authority confirmed that Barclays had contacted it about the matter. The authority said it planned to work with the bank on procedures to “ensure data is secure and used properly.”

It is an awkward time for Barclays, which plans to announce its annual results on Tuesday. It has been in the spotlight, with other major banks, over broad inquiries into accusations that it rigged benchmark interest rates. The bank said recently that its fourth-quarter results would include additional charges of 110 million pounds, or $180 million, related to litigation and regulatory penalties.

The Financial Conduct Authority’s investigation into the possible data theft adds a layer to the regulatory inquiries into the bank. In 2012, Barclays paid £290 million to settle an investigation of possible manipulation of the London interbank offered rate, or Libor. At least 10 people in Britain and the United States face criminal charges related to Libor.

In the last year, regulators in Britain, the United States, Germany, Switzerland and Hong Kong have opened investigations into the currency markets, and more than a dozen foreign exchange traders at large banks, including Barclays, UBS and JPMorgan Chase, have been put on leave over questions on whether they colluded to manipulate benchmark currency rates.

The Barclays chief executive, Antony Jenkins, said last week that he would forgo a bonus for 2013 in light of the bank’s restructuring and litigation costs. He will receive a base salary of £1.1 million. The bank is undergoing a major restructuring, including shedding more than 4,000 jobs.