23,000 Fortnum & Mason customers could be entitled to data breach compensation
High-end grocer Fortnum & Mason, has become the latest business to suffer a significant data breach due to hackers. This week, the store revealed that 23,000 customers have had their personal details stolen. The compromised information includes email addresses, home addresses, phone numbers and social media names.
Those affected should now consider claiming for data breach compensation.
People who may have had their details stolen include:
- Those who voted for the TV personality of the year category at the store's food and drink awards
- People who entered a competition to win tickets for an exhibition of Charles I's art collection
- Customers who filled in a survey about the concierge service at Fortnum & Mason's Piccadilly store.
The poll had been organised by Typeform, a company which specialises in creating surveys and forms. On 27 June Typeform discovered that an unknown third party had accessed its server and downloaded information. In response, it "immediately and fixed the source of the breach."
Commenting on the latest data protection scandal, Fortnum & Mason chief executive Ewan Venters has said that the hack is mostly limited to email addresses and there is no evidence that highly sensitive information like bank details or credit cards have been accessed.
However, today's cybercriminals don't just care about our financial information. They can also cause chaos with personally identifiable information such as an email address. In fact, with enough data, cybercriminals can apply for credit in your name, set up fraudulent bank accounts and access your existing accounts.
These types of incidents are becoming increasingly common and they often have severe consequences for those affected, so you could be entitled to thousands of pounds in data breach compensation. What's more, it doesn't matter if there is no evidence that the data has been used to carry out identity theft or fraud. If the data breach has caused you stress or anxiety then the law agrees that you are entitled to compensation.
All those affected have been contacted. So, if you have received confirmation that your details have been hacked, we would urge you to let us know and start a data breach compensation claim. If you took part in any of the surveys or polls listed above and you haven't received an email, make sure that you check your junk mail folder.
Once registered with us, we'll let you know what is happening in this case and if and when you can claim. You should also raise any concerns with the ICO.