Data breaches leading to criminals impersonating real companies

Data breaches that lead to criminals impersonating real companies are one of the major risks that can occur when personal information has been exposed in a cyberattack.

Your Lawyers, as Leading Data Leak Lawyers, are used to helping people and representing individuals who have been targeted in this kind of way. It can be incredibly distressing to be targeted, even if you do not fall for any scams. The distress is something we can account for in a claim for GDPR compensation.

You can speak to our team for free, no-obligation legal advice here now.

Claim compensation for criminals impersonating real organisations

Criminals impersonating real organisations and representatives after a data breach is one of the ways in which hacks can lead to fraud and theft. This kind of event can be one of the most significant risks when information has been misused or exposed as a result of a cyberattack, and we can tell you from experience having helped people in such situations that it does happen.

Criminals are clever, and they know many ways in which they can dupe their victims into believing that they are the real deal. They can use information stolen in cyberattacks to purport that they are legitimate, and it is easy to do. For example, if you are contacted by someone saying they are from your internet provider, and they know your account number and they know about issues you are currently waiting to be resolved, you could easily assume that you are speaking to the actual company. How else would the caller know that information? But, if the company’s systems have been hacked, you could be talking to a criminal who has accessed your data and knows your account details and knows that you have an outstanding problem.

Victims of a data breach who have lost control of their personal information can be entitled to claim compensation for any distress caused, using the GDPR. You do not have to have lost any money or paid out any expenses to claim, but these can be considered if they are a factor. Most people claim for just the distress alone, and this can be significant enough. You could be entitled to recover thousands of pounds in compensation now.

Examples: Pepperstone and TalkTalk data breach compensation

We have helped and represented people for Pepperstone and TalkTalk data breach compensation claims, where the issue of criminals impersonating real representatives has taken place.

In both these cases, some people reported that they received contact from people who were passing themselves off as Pepperstone and TalkTak. It appears that criminals may have used information stolen from the relevant cyberattacks.

It is understood that, by the time Pepperstone had informed victims that they were affected by the cyberattack in the middle of 2020, some had already been contacted by fraudsters. After the TalkTalk data breach incident, a number of people reported receiving contact from people passing themselves off as TalkTalk representatives to resolve legitimate problems that people had had.

Unfortunately, in such incidents, people can be tricked into handing over more information or handing over access to devices. We often talk about the real risks that can occur in the wake of a cyberattack, and these are two clear examples of such risks affecting data breach victims.

Free, no-obligation legal advice

If you were affected by the Pepperstone or TalkTalk data breach incidents, or if you have suffered due to any other form of cyberattack, we may be able to represent you for a claim on a No Win, No Fee basis.

Our expert team is happy to provide free, no-obligation legal advice, and you can contact us here now to discuss your circumstances. If you have been targeted by criminals impersonating real organisations as a result of a data breach, we can consider any impact on you in terms of both distress and financial losses, if applicable.

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