Phishing Scams

Phishing scammers use emails, texts, websites, phone calls and social media to access your data, your computer, or your financial accounts. Their goal is to steal your money and/or personal information (to commit identity or financial fraud).

Unfortunately, in most cases, where someone has become a victim of a phishing scam, their bank is not responsible for their losses. So, victims of phishing crime can be left not knowing where to turn for compensation.

Phishing is a serious crime, and victims can suffer both financial loss and distress.
Organisations that hold your personal information have a legal duty to keep it safe. But all too often cyber-criminals get access to your data because the necessary security processes are not in place.

If you have become the victim of a phishing scam because of the negligence of others, you may be able to claim compensation from the organisation responsible.

At Hayes Connor Solicitors, we have decades of combined experience helping people to claim compensation for phishing scams caused by a business or organisation failing to protect their data. We can help you claim for your emotional distress, loss of privacy and any financial losses.

We understand that making a compensation claim can be stressful, especially while you are dealing with the emotional impact of having your data exposed. That’s why we make sure you always know what’s happening with your case and remove the jargon from the process to keep things as simple and stress-free as possible.

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Where we believe you have a case for claiming compensation, we may be able to act for you on a no win, no fee basis, removing any financial risk from the process of making a claim.

Think you are entitled to compensation for a phishing scam? 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 caught in a phishing scam, please call us on 0330 041 5133.

What is a phishing scam?

To summarise, phishing is a criminal act whereby someone uses any basic personal information they have already obtained (potentially through a personal data breach) to extract further sensitive data.

Phishing crimes often involve scam emails, text messages or phone calls which direct a user to a fake website. This website can be used to commit phishing fraud, stealing further personal information, download a virus or other malicious software, or directly steal financial details.

Types of phishing scams we can assist with

Our team can help you to claim compensation for a wide range of situations where you have been caught in a phishing scam due to a business or other organisation being negligent with the way they held your data.

Typical phishing scams and phishing fraud include:

• Where fraudsters phone up posing as your bank
• Where fraudsters phone up posing as a company (e.g. Microsoft) and encourage you to complete steps that let them gain access to your computer
• Where scammers send out an email from a service you use (e.g. PayPal, Google Drive, Dropbox etc.). This link instructs you to click on a link which leads to a fake page that collects your login details
• Where you receive an email from a person or company you know and trust which includes your personal information and lures you into clicking on a malicious URL or email attachment.

Making a phishing scam compensation claim

Are you owed compensation for a phishing scam?

While in some instances, cybercrime such as phishing 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 scam, which can be significant and of a psychological nature.

Can you get your money back?

If someone is convicted of a cybercrime against you, the court may order them to pay you compensation. Where the authorities are not interested in pursuing compensation, or where you do not want to make a criminal case, we can assist with a private prosecution. However, many factors will determine whether this is possible and how successful you are likely to be. First and foremost, the scammer must be caught, and that is rarely the case.

Whether you will get your money back also depends on how many people suffered (the total number of claimants) and whether money is available for compensation.

If you’d like to find out more about whether you can seek reimbursement from a cybercriminal, contact us today.

Phishing compensation from organisations

You may be eligible to claim for phishing compensation if a company that holds or has access to your personal information has failed to protect it.

Should a phishing scam be successful, liability will depend on the measures in place to keep you and your data safe; and whether these measures were upheld. In many cases, phishing scams occur due to inadequate processes and human error, leaving victims open to the threat of data theft.

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 phishing scam claim

Our professional, friendly team will advise you on whether you have a valid claim for phishing scam compensation. If you are not sure whether your personal data has been misused or mishandled, we can find this out for you.

Once we establish that you have grounds for phishing scam compensation, we will take care of the whole claims process for you.

Our team will contact the organisation 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 a phishing scam, please call us on 0330 041 5133.

What compensation can you claim for a phishing scam?

If you have been the victim of a phishing scam, you can claim the compensation for the following.

Financial losses

Data theft can lead to both financial and identity fraud. 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

Even if you haven’t lost out financially after a phishing scam, 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 breach and subsequent scam. 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.

The full impact of phishing is not always immediate

Phishing scams 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 breach 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 a phishing scam 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 the data stolen is used in batches over time.

What’s more, many clients involved in phishing cases go on to suffer from distress and/or psychological trauma as a result of having their details stolen and used in fraudulent activity.

Is phishing illegal?

Phishing is an example of fraud by false representation. This is a criminal offence which can result in heavy penalties for anyone who is convicted.

What are the consequences of phishing?

Phishing consequences are wide ranging. In some cases, they can be particularly devastating for unsuspecting victims.

The potential phishing consequences you could face include:

• Direct financial losses
• Identify theft
• Loss of intellectual property
• Reputation damage
• Loss of custom and company value (for business and self-employed)
• Regulatory fines
• Business disruption
• Future vulnerability

Who do you report phishing scams to?

Phishing is done in many ways, but the aim is to trick you into thinking you’re giving your personal information or making payments to someone you can trust.

If you have been the victim of a phishing attempt, you should contact Action Fraud ASAP. Action Fraud is the national fraud reporting service. However, if you have lost money as a result of the scam, you must also report it as a crime.

Start your phishing scam claim today

At Hayes Connor Solicitors we help you to claim compensation and steer you through the aftermath of a phishing scam. Ultimately, we help to minimise the impact on you as much as possible.

With strict time limits in place for making phishing scam claims it’s important to act now to make sure you don’t miss out on your right to claim.