Data breach claims and compensation for identity theft

As criminals become increasingly adept at accessing and using private data for their own gain, data breaches are becoming increasingly risky for the victims. If criminals abuse your exposed data to commit fraud, you might be able to claim compensation for identity theft.

Identity theft is one of the most significant risks of data breaches, as criminals can use even the smallest amounts of personal data to form a picture of a person’s identity. Whether they experience the effects of identity theft or not, the exposure to such risks can be extremely distressing for data breach victims.

As a leading firm of data breach lawyers, we aim to support any victims who have been made vulnerable to this devastating crime, many of whom may be eligible to claim compensation.

Identity theft and its effects

Identity theft is a term used to describe the misuse of a person’s identity information, typically for the purposes of fraud or other financial crime. To get the data required for the impersonation of a victim, criminals can source data themselves through hacks, or can buy information which is already up for sale on the dark web.

Identity theft has the potential to happen on a large scale when a business or organisation experiences a significant data breach, as this can allow for mass data harvesting. When criminals obtain your data for identity theft, the effects on the victim can include:

• Criminals accessing and stealing from the victim’s bank accounts;
• Fake insurance claims;
• Unauthorised purchases or goods orders;
• Applications for real identity documents, such as passports, in the victim’s name;
• Opening credit accounts in your name.

A related crime known as synthetic identity theft, in which criminals use a combination of authentic and fake personal details, is also on the rise. This form of identity theft can be harder to detect, as the accounts or transactions carried out under synthetic identities can often appear legitimate.

Claiming compensation for identity theft

If a third-party business or organisation is found to be responsible for a data breach you were affected by, this may allow you to claim compensation for identity theft.

For example, if you started noticing fraudulent communication or suspicious transactions soon after a data breach, this could be a sign of a causal link.

As such, it could be that a third-party organisation failed to sufficiently protect your information, either due to poor procedures or inadequate cybersecurity, thus exposing you to identity theft. In cases where this applies, your compensation claim for identity theft could cover both the distress caused, as well as any financial losses you may have suffered due to criminal activity resulting from the data breach.

Starting your compensation claim

We know that many data breach victims are affected by considerable anxiety and stress, which is unsurprising given how severe the effects of identity theft can be. If you wish to claim compensation for identity theft, you can trust your claim to The Data Breach Lawyers. We have years of experience in representing data breach victims, so we are experts in valuing and carrying out claims in this niche area of law.

Do not hesitate to contact us to receive free, no-obligation advice.