Thousands potentially at risk in Sandicliffe data breach

Thousands could be affected by the recently revealed Sandicliffe data breach which reportedly occurred in February 2020.

As we understand it, the breach stemmed from an employee falling for a phishing scam which then gave hackers access to two email accounts. The accounts are said to have contained some personal data, but the company says that there is currently no evidence that that information exposed has been used maliciously.

It is potentially the case that there may be thousands at risk from this data breach, with the Sandicliffe car dealership company reportedly owning a total of 10 showrooms. Both customers, current employees and previous employees may have had information exposed in the breach meaning that their highly sensitive information could still be misused by criminals.

Data possibly exposed in the Sandicliffe data breach

The Sandicliffe car dealership company has informed the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) about the data breach, but the UK’s data watchdog is understood to have decided that no further action is required. The company will need to inform anyone whose personal data has been involved in the data breach as soon as possible, if they have not done so already. If your sensitive personal data has been exposed in the Sandicliffe data breach, victims could be eligible to make a compensation claim.

The data believed to have been exposed in the Sandicliffe data breach may have included;

• Names;
• Dates of birth;
• Bank account numbers and sort codes;
• National Insurance numbers;
• Passport scans;
• Salary information for employees;
• Medical histories of employees.

Whether information has been exposed or not may be dependent on their job role and how much of their personal data was on record. This information is of a highly sensitive nature and, in the hands of criminals, the data breach does mean that victims could now be vulnerable to fraudulent activity. This could include scams, identity theft, and there is a possibility that hackers will hold data for ransom.

The Sandicliffe car dealership has said there is no evidence to suggest that the information exposed has been misused by hackers, but it ‘cannot conclusively say either way’. They have warned customers and employees to be vigilant for any suspicious activity or red flags, such as on bank statements and when receiving emails, and to report any suspicious or fraudulent activity.

About the Data Breach Lawyers

The Data Breach Lawyers is specialist data breach compensation law firm representing thousands of claimants for individual legal cases and in dozens of multi-party and group action claims. We specialise in data breaches, data leaks and data hacks, and we fight for the rights of victims who have lost control of their personal data and/or suffered financial loss as a result of an incident.

We have decades of experience and can help you fight for the justice you deserve. We have helped thousands of victims recover millions in compensation and can offer eligible victims No Win, No Fee representation.

Can we help you today?

If you have been involved in the Sandicliffe data breach, you could be eligible to make a compensation claim with us today. Depending on the sensitive nature of your personal information involved, you could be able to make a substantial claim.

Speak to a member of our team by filling in a contact request form below or emailing us at help@databreachlawyers.co.uk.