{"id":4058,"date":"2019-10-31T11:28:34","date_gmt":"2019-10-31T11:28:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dataleaklawyers.co.uk\/blog\/?p=4058"},"modified":"2025-11-25T13:57:51","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T13:57:51","slug":"should-i-be-worried-about-a-data-breach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dataleaklawyers.co.uk\/blog\/should-i-be-worried-about-a-data-breach","title":{"rendered":"Should I be worried about a data breach?"},"content":{"rendered":"

People asking whether they should be worried about a data breach is somewhat of a common question in today\u2019s age of almost continual leaks and hacks.<\/p>\n

In some ways, our society has become a bit numb to news of yet another breach hitting the headlines given how common they are. Whilst we don\u2019t want to panic people, it\u2019s important for us to shed some light on the dark side of the internet and explain why people should be worried when they fall victim to a data breach incident.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also important to know what rights you have when it comes to compensation. <\/strong><\/a>When you understand about what can happen to your valuable information, it can be distressing.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Why you should be worried about a data breach<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When we look at what happens to information in the aftermath of an incident, there are a number of reasons as to why people ought to be worried about a data breach.<\/p>\n

When it comes to information that has been stolen, like we have seen in the BA data breach that has resulted in the Group Action we\u2019re involved with<\/strong>, there are a number of risks. If it\u2019s financial data that has been stolen, hackers can immediately attempt to steal money from you. They may make fraudulent transactions on your bank account or abuse an account for a breached organisation to try and benefit from it.<\/p>\n

Some of the people that we\u2019re representing in the BA Group Action<\/strong> have reported a number of fraudulent transactions and odd activity on accounts. There are real risks of money being stolen, and although we can usually recover this as part of a claim for compensation<\/strong><\/a>, it\u2019s not nice to think that unknown criminals are abusing your information and stealing your<\/em> money!<\/p>\n

Long-term damage<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There\u2019s more to it than just being worried about a data breach in the short-term. Lost money can be refunded, and it may feel like the harm was minimal.<\/p>\n

But it doesn\u2019t always stop there.<\/p>\n

One of the more worrying long-term concerns is the risks of further fraud, but not in the way of money being directly stolen from accounts. We\u2019re talking about criminals contacting data breach victims and posing as legitimate organisations using the information that has been exposed.<\/p>\n

We saw this with the TalkTalk hack<\/strong><\/a> that we\u2019re also representing people for. Criminals have been contacting victims and pretending to be TalkTalk, and they\u2019re managing to trick innocent people into making fraudulent transactions as a result of convincing people they\u2019re the real deal because of the information they had.<\/p>\n

When someone calls you and is able to confirm a wealth of your personal information, including company account numbers, it can be easy to be duped. In some cases, organisations have refused to refund victims of these kinds of frauds, which is why claiming can be important.<\/p>\n

Even longer-term worries<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Another reason to be worried about a data breach is the issue over information being sold on the dark web and then used years after the event took place.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s quite a market for stolen information. When it\u2019s combined with data stolen or exposed in other breach incidents, a comprehensive online profile can be built of a person in order to commit serious crimes, like identify theft.<\/p>\n

Even when resolved, ID theft can do permanent or at least long-term damage to a victim\u2019s credit profile and life in general. The hassle and stress of having to resolve the problems that can be caused can be significant.<\/p>\n

The importance of claiming data breach compensation<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Given the many reasons as to why people should be worried about a data breach, the importance of being able to make a claim for compensation<\/strong> <\/a>cannot be understated.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, data protection law in the UK entitles victims of a data breach to be able to bring a claim. We can represent victims for claims on a No Win, No Fee basis, and data breach compensation pay-outs<\/strong><\/a> are usually based on the extent of any suffering and loss that has been caused.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to have suffered an actual financial loss to be able to claim. You can be entitled to damages for any distress caused or, in some cases, for the mere fact that a breach has taken place.<\/p>\n

For free, no-obligation advice about your rights for making a claim, please don\u2019t hesitate to contact our expert team for help and advice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

People asking whether they should be worried about a data breach is somewhat of a common question in today\u2019s age of almost continual leaks and hacks. In some ways, our society has become a bit numb to news of yet another breach hitting the headlines given how common they are. 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