EasyJet data breach and cyber attack: Can I claim compensation if my details were hacked?
MILLIONS of EasyJet customers had their information stolen by hackers in a mass cyber attack.
On Tuesday, May 19, the low-cost airline revealed 9million customers had been affected by the "highly sophisticated" breach.
Thieves stole email addresses and travel details millions of passengers, as well as 2,208 travellers' credit card details.
They have referred the incident to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and the National Cyber Security Centre.
Police revealed they are keeping a lookout for a spike in fraud calls related to EasyJet.
Action Fraud has also issued guidance about what to do if you may have been affected.
In an email to customers, EasyJet said: "Once again, we’re sorry that this attack has happened.
"We do take the safety and security of our customers’ information very seriously and will continue to take every action to protect it against any future attacks."
Phishing
Thieves may use your personal details to target you with emails, texts and calls.
If you receive any emails asking you for personal or financial details, forward them to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS): [email protected].
EasyJet is also warning fliers to be cautious of any communications claiming to be from EasyJet or EasyJet holidays.
Financial details
Keep an eye on your bank accounts for any unusual activity. If you notice any unauthorised transactions, notify your bank or card company.
You may also get suspicious phone calls and emails asking for further information.
Do not hand over your details and check with your bank to see how they will contact you if they need extra information from you.
Passwords
If you have been affected, it's a good idea to change your passwords on your EasyJet account and also your online bank accounts.
Report
If you have been a victim of cyber crime,
Can I get compensation as a result of the hack?
GDPR gives consumers the right to claim compensation for data breaches like this but only if you suffer damage as a result, for example, you lost money.
Solicitors Leigh Day state the amount of compensation you could receive if you’re the victim of a data breach depends on the exact circumstances relating to the breach, including:
- Sensitivity of the information stolen
- How many people accessed your information
- Length of time between the breach occurring and being informed
- How long unauthorised access to the data was / is available
- Anxiety and emotional distress encountered
- Any financial losses experienced
A spokesman for Action Fraud said: "At this time we’re advising the public that if they think they’ve been a victim of fraud as a result of a data breach, to report it to Action Fraud via the online reporting tool or by calling 0300 123 2040."
What is EasyJet saying about the breach?
The airline has provided information on its website about what has happened, how they are responding and how you may be impacted.
The airline has said:
"We announced on 19th May 2020 that we were the target of an attack from a highly sophisticated source.
"As soon as we became aware of the attack, we took immediate steps to manage and respond to the incident, closing off the unauthorised access.
"We engaged leading forensic experts to investigate the issue and we also notified the National Cyber Security Centre and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)."
For the customers who just had their travel details stolen, :
"Travel details are those details that you input when booking a flight or holiday, such as your name, email address, origin airport and your destination, and departure date. It does not include financial details and passport information. These were not accessed."
And when detailing its compensation procedure, the airline said:
"Apart from the very small subset of customers who we have already notified, no credit card details have been impacted. We therefore do not expect there to be any financial loss caused by this incident. We are advising customers to continue to be alert as they would normally be, especially should they receive any unsolicited communications."
The hack comes two years after British Airways was hacked, with a total of 380,000 customers' card details being stolen from its website.
Names, billing addresses and email addresses were also exposed - but BA claimed travel or passport details were not accessed during the breach.
The airline was later fined £183.39m by the Information Commissioner for breaching GDPR rules and later on launched its own class action lawsuit.
In 2015, millions of TalkTalk customers' details were put at risk after the company was hacked.
It was later revealed in May last year the bank details of 4,500 customers were leaked online, despite the company's assurances their details were safe.
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