Phishing emails after data breaches

Phishing emails after data breaches can be a common occurrence, as criminals and hackers use exposed information to try to commit fraud and theft.

Your Lawyers, as leading Data Leak Lawyers, know all too well the risks that people face, which is why our work as privacy claims specialists is incredibly important. We are here to support our clients and pursue justice in the form of a compensation claim for any distress or harm that they have suffered when personal information has been misused or exposed.

You can contact the team here now to find out if you are eligible to claim; No Win, No Fee.

Phishing emails after data breaches

Phishing emails after data breaches can be a common occurrence as hackers and criminals use the opportunity of exposed information to target people to commit crimes. This is why we often say that there is no such thing as a “minor data breach” in the context of the risks to the victims. You often see when organisations are at the centre of a data breach that they are quick to confirm things such as “no financial information” being exposed, or “no payment card data” being involved. However, this does not mean that people are not at risk from theft, as even contact details can be abused by criminals to target people.

To explain this really simply: if a person’s name and email address are exposed in a data breach, some may say this is a “minor data breach”. However, a criminal could then bombard the person with phishing emails, and some may look legitimate. Some hackers may even pass themselves off as the organisation at the centre of a data breach to offer support.

Cyber criminals and fraudsters are clever, and making use of many means in which to convince people that they are the real deal is what they do. Many of our clients – particularly after large scale cyberattacks – often report huge increases in phishing emails after data breaches that they have been affected by.

It goes without saying that the risks to people who have even had just contact details misused or exposed can be significant. No data breach should be played down or dressed up in a way that suggests that there are no risks to the victims. There can always be risks of phishing emails, and fraudsters contacting people using details that have been exposed is a case in point.

Phishing and healthcare data breach examples

When it comes to healthcare data breach examples, we know that phishing is a real problem that our healthcare services have been facing for quite some time. During the coronavirus pandemic, it was reported that instances of phishing attacks targeting the healthcare industry increased. This shows that criminals will exploit any potential vulnerability when executing their campaigns.

Just as bad is that, during this time of uncertainty and vulnerability, scammers passed themselves off as healthcare workers to target unsuspecting victims. I myself have received several text messages and emails in relation to coronavirus testing and appointments which were not legitimate.

Claiming compensation – No Win, No Fee

You could be eligible to claim compensation on No Win, No Fee basis if you have been affected by phishing emails after a data breach. The GDPR can entitle you to claim damages for any distress caused by the loss of control of your personal information, including for increasing events of being targeted by scams and theft which can be distressing. You do not need to have actually fallen victim to a scam in order to claim, as the distress alone of being targeted can be quite substantial.

Please do not hesitate to speak to our team here now for free, no-obligation advice. We are happy to help you.

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