Wisepay data breach

The Wisepay data breach occurred over several days between 2^nd and 5^th October 2020. The school services breach is said to have affected over 300 schools’ payments systems over the weekend that it occurred.

We understand that hackers managed to gain access to Wisepay’s systems to gather sensitive information as part of the cyberattack that remained undetected for two full days.

As a specialist law firm with years of experience in the complex field of data breach law, we are here to help you now. We currently represent thousands of claimants for signal cases and in dozens multi-party and group actions, with millions of pounds in damages recovered. We are passionate about fighting for justice for victims of data breaches and we can offer No Win, No Fee legal representation.  

The Wisepay data breach

The Wisepay data breach took place between the evening of the 2^nd October and 10am on the 5^th. Hackers were able to gain access to the Wisepay site and modify their payments page which redirected users to their own external page so they could steal payment information that was being processed.

The page was ‘spoofed’ to look the same as the Wisepay page, and anyone who inputted their card details actually gave them directly to the cybercriminal(s).

The Wisepay data breach is thought to have affected parents attempting to make payments over the weekend of the breach to at least 300 schools. Wisepay took their site down as soon as the breach was discovered on the morning of the 5^th and have said that only a small number of parents should have been affected as their system does not require daily payments.

What data was involved in the breach?

In a letter to schools, Wisepay warned parents who think they could have been affected by the breach to pause or cancel the payment cards they used on their site. They also advised to change any online banking passwords in a pre-emptive attempt to stop the hackers doing further damage.

Wisepay said that if you did not attempt to make a payment to one of the 300 affected schools between 2^nd and 5^th October, it is likely you that you will not have been affected as they do not store any individual’s payment details and none of their records were accessed.

What could I claim for?

When a breach of this nature occurs, it is likely that fraudulent activity could take place and victims may end up being at a financial loss. Below are some of the factors we can consider when it comes to a data breach claim:

• Damages for being a victim generally of a breach;
• Compensation for stress, worry and anxiety caused;
• Compensation for any recognised psychological injury or depression caused by the incident, or exacerbated by it;
• The effect that the leak has had on your social and domestic life;
• Lost earnings from time off work or for lost earnings if you have to leave your employment;
• Any other financial losses or expenses that have been caused as a result of the incident;
• Private treatment expenses if this can help.

If you have been affected by the Wisepay data breach, you could be eligible to make a compensation claim on a No Win, No Fee basis now.

Please do not hesitate to complete a claims form and our team can get back to you to see if we can assist you.