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What is This Claim About?
Virgin Media is the target of a group action over its data breach that affected 900,000 customers.
The Virgin Media data breach occurred when an unsecured database filled with users’ contact information was accessed.
Who’s Eligible?
If you are a Virgin Media customer and you were notified by an email or text from the company that your personal information was breached, you may be eligible to join the group action, according to Data Leak Lawyers.
How Much Compensation Will I Receive?
If the Virgin Media data breach group action is successful, claimants could recover as much as £5,000 in compensation, according to Group Action Lawyers.
The exact amount is to be determined by the court.
How Do I Join?
Check your eligibility and fill out a form to sign up as a claimant with any of the following law firms that represent the Virgin Media data breach group action.
BenHoareBell Solicitors
Data Leak Lawyers
Group Action Lawyers
HNK Solicitors
Leigh Day
Your Lawyers
More law firms may be added.
Nearly a million customers have had their private information accessed in the Virgin Media data breach, and a group action following the violation could hold the company responsible for £4.5 billion in damages.
According to Infosecurity Magazine, Virgin Media has confessed its marketing database was left unsecured and vulnerable for 10 months. Now, claimants in the Virgin Media data breach group action may be eligible for up to £5,000 each for financial and emotional distress after being potentially exposed to identity theft.
According to records, at least one culprit has infiltrated 900,000 customers’ personal details in the Virgin Media data breach, The Guardian reported. The company has said there is no apparent evidence that the customers’ information has been used unlawfully yet.
Financial information or passwords were not kept in the unsecured database, but contact information was. The information that was accessed in the Virgin Media data breach included names, email addresses, home addresses and phone numbers. Furthermore, the users’ device information was revealed.
The BBC reported Virgin Media said the breach was not a hack or criminal attack but the database was accessed because a staff member did not follow proper instructions and “incorrectly configured” it.
The Virgin Media data breach was discovered by a TurgenSec security researcher, the BBC reported. Virgin Media notified the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), and an investigation was initiated.
Upon the discovery of the Virgin Media breach in March, chief executive Lutz Schüler announced an apology.
“We recently became aware that one of our marketing databases was incorrectly configured which allowed unauthorised access,” Schüler said, according to the BBC. “We immediately solved the issue by shutting down access. Protecting our customers’ data is a top priority and we sincerely apologise.”
He added: “Based upon our investigation, Virgin Media does believe that the database was accessed on at least one occasion but we do not know the extent of the access or if any information was actually used.”
Most of the 900,000 customers affected by the Virgin Media data breach were either television or fixed-line telephone users.
The customer database included information from Virgin Mobile customers and some would-be customers referred to the company during a promotion. Virgin Media has reportedly contacted all of the customers affected in the breach.
A BBC analysis says customers should be reassured that the database was not aggressively hacked, but a staff member’s error being at fault is embarrassing to the tech giant.
According to the analysis, 10 months is a lengthy period for data to be unsecured and it is promising that no banking details or sensitive information were in the database. However, there is still contact information of 900,000 customers available that cybercriminals can use to their advantage.
The BBC analysis warned that phishing calls or emails can be used by cybercriminals, who defraud people by impersonating a legitimate representative from a company to obtain private information from the victim.
Usually, these types of schemes are not very complex, but if an unsuspecting person is not prepared for such a call, they may believe the scammer.
Virgin Media has cautioned users that the violation of personal information could lead to identity theft.
The company has referred worried customers to Action Fraud if they think they have been a victim of identity theft. Potential scammers could be trying to conduct phishing schemes or deceptive phone calls by pretending they are Virgin Media representatives.
“Virgin Media failed to take the steps required to keep customer data safe,” said Aman Johal, director at Your Lawyers, one law firm representing the Virgin Media data breach group action claimants, according to Infosecurity Magazine. “It is vital for the company to understand the severity of this breach. When data is left exposed online it is open season for fraudsters to scam and attack vulnerable people. Your Lawyers has formally notified Virgin Media that we are taking action and our claimant base is growing daily. We urge anyone affected by the breach to make a claim as soon as possible.”
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