ABN Amro has taken its Tikkie Pay app offline after it emerged that it was sharing users’ bank details without their knowledge.

A journalist at RTL Nieuws discovered that they could see the recipient’s IBAN number when they made a transaction with Tikkie Pay, which could expose the user to phishing and identity theft.

Unlike other ‘Tikkie’ apps which request payment for bills and expenses, Tikkie Pay allows individuals to transfer money directly into other people’s accounts using only their mobile phone number.

A spokesman for ABN Amro confirmed that the app had been taken offline temporarily. The bank has launched an investigation.