Retail data breaches

Even before the popularity of online shopping, it was possible for customers to fall victim to data misuse, with criminals carrying out hacks of card machines to gain access to payment details. Now, with online shopping on a constant upturn, many of us share our personal information with third-party companies on a regular basis online. If these companies fail to protect our information, we can fall prey to retail data breaches.

In fact, because of the wealth of card data held by retailers, they are a prime target for cybercriminals. Online retailers were arguably put at an increased risk during the past year’s lockdown periods, during which many people turned to online shopping to make their purchases, a fact that fraudsters were all too aware of.

Regardless of the potential increase in cybercrime, the data controllers themselves can bear the responsibility when a data breach does occur. Retailers have a legal obligation to protect personal information, and when they fail in this duty, they could be liable to pay thousands of pounds in compensation when victims make a data breach claim.

The potential impact of retail data breaches

We are often required to disclose a significant amount of personal data to retailers, particularly when making online purchases. From email addresses and phone numbers, to home addresses and credit or debit card details, cybercriminals who manage to hack retailers’ databases can access a wealth of information which could be used for all kinds of scams and fraud.

The impact for victims is often worse when payment card data is stolen, due to theft and fraud this can facilitate.

Recent retail sector data breaches

A number of recent retail data breaches demonstrate how victims can be affected by these incidents. For example, hardware retailer Robert Dyas suffered a data breach shortly after closing all its high street stores due to the first UK lockdown. Customers’ names, addresses and card details were subjected to unauthorised access after malicious software was uploaded to the company’s online systems by a third party. We are taking legal action following this breach and anyone affected can sign up to join the case.

Similarly, clothing retailer Fat Face suffered a cyberattack earlier this year, when it was reported that hackers had been able to access customers’ names, home and email addresses, and the last four digits of their credit cards. We are currently taking on claims for victims of these retail data breaches, and you can sign up for a legal case here now.

Make your compensation claim

As a leading, specialist firm of consumer action and Data Leak Lawyers, Your Lawyers has been representing clients for privacy matters since 2014. We have been involved in some of the biggest data breach group actions in England and Wales, including our BA data breach claim and the Virgin Media group action.

We know what it takes to stand up to huge companies and hold them accountable for data protection negligence. Anyone affected by retail data breaches can come to us for free, no-obligation advice on their potential compensation claim.

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