What to do if you have been the victim of data hacking
Reporting data hacking
If you want to report that you have been the victim of online fraud or identity theft, contact Action Fraud. You can do this online or via telephone. Action Fraud is the national fraud reporting service and is the starting point for any police investigation into your loss.
For any other form of cybercrime such as online stalking, harassment, or fears about sexual grooming, you should contact the police directly.
Of course, you may not know that your information has been hacked until you hear about in the news. In such cases, it’s worth finding out whether your data was compromised. Because, if so, you may have a claim for compensation.
Making a data hacking compensation claim
Are you owed data hacking compensation?
While in some instances, cybercrime such as hacking is difficult to avoid, often it is made possible because an organisation has not put the necessary prevention methods in place to keep your data safe.
To make matters worse, many companies are falling short of what we would expect when a failure in data privacy occurs. In our experience, companies and their representatives (be they legal or insurance based) are still responding with a pre-packaged “we won’t do it again” approach. This fails to recognise the full impact of the data hack, which can be significant and of a psychological nature.
You may be eligible to claim for compensation if a company that holds or has access to your personal information has failed to protect it.
Should a hack occur, liability will depend on the measures in place to keep you and your data safe; and whether these measures were upheld. In many cases, hacks are able to occur due to inadequate processes and human error, leaving victims open to the threat of hacks.
Our professional, friendly team will be pleased to answer any questions you might have and advise you on whether you have a valid claim.
How to start a data hacking claim
Once you contact our team and we establish that you have grounds for compensation, we will take care of the whole claims process for you.
Our team will contact the company you hold responsible for failing to protect your data. Where we believe you were let down by their security processes, we will work tirelessly to get you the compensation you deserve.
To get the claims process started, you can use our simple and secure online claim form to share the details of your situation and we will get back to you shortly to let you know whether we can help.
To speak to a member of our team now about what to do if you have been a victim of data hacking, please call us on 0151 363 5895.
How much compensation can you get for data hacking?
Financial losses
A data hack can lead to both financial and/or identity theft. And the result of either of these can be devastating. With enough information, cybercriminals can apply for credit in your name, set up fraudulent bank accounts and access your existing accounts.
Distress, anguish and anxiety
Even if you haven’t lost out financially after a data hack, this doesn’t mean that there is “no harm done.” A personal data breach is a 21st-century version of being burgled. If a criminal came into your home and stole your private information, you would be distressed. So why should you feel any less upset at having your personal data taken?
Being the victim of a crime can have a significant impact on you mentally and physically. Of course, everyone reacts differently, but for some people, the effects can include a lack of sleep, feeling ill, unsettled or confused. Stress can also affect your friends, your family and your job.
Loss of privacy
You do not have to have experienced harm as a direct result of a data hack. If a company does not protect your data in the way it is legally obliged to do, and you have suffered a loss of privacy, you can make a claim. For example, if your email address was stolen or otherwise put at risk this could result in a loss of privacy.
The full impact of a data hack is not always immediate.
Hacking can lead to your personal and sensitive data getting into the wrong hands. In the worst cases, this can lead to you falling victim to financial fraud and identity theft.
Dealing with hundreds of different types of data hack cases, one thing that has become apparent to our solicitors is that the full impact is often not felt until months after the initial violation.
The impact of data hacking can be devastating, and we have seen cases where the financial losses only start to occur three to six months later. This is often because data stolen is used in batches over time.
How to stay safe following a data hack
Here are a few steps to help protect your personal information following a data hack:
- If you are worried that your financial details have been exposed, contact your bank/credit card provider immediately and ask them to keep a close eye on your account and request a new card
- Consider a credit freeze until the matter is resolved
- Beware of fraudsters who attempt to gather personal information (phishing)
- Report any suspected phishing attempts to the police and relevant authorities (Action Fraud)
- Look out for any bills or emails showing goods or services you haven’t ordered, or any unfamiliar transactions on your account and alert your bank or card provider immediately if there is any suspicious activity
- Keep an eye on your credit score for any unexpected dips (register for updates)
- Let the credit reference agencies know of any activity that was not down to you
- Register with the Cifas protective registration service. This will slow down credit applications made in your name with additional verification checks made to ascertain that the applicant is actually you
- Beware of any unsolicited communications that refer you to a web page asking for personal data
- Register with a suitable fraud prevention service
- Change your passwords on all your accounts.
Start your data hacking claim today
At Hayes Connor Solicitors we help you to claim compensation and steer you through the aftermath of data hacking – minimising the impact on you as much as possible.
With strict time limits in place for hacking claims, it’s important to act now to make sure you don’t miss out on your right to claim.