Lawyers believe people whose data fell into the hands of hackers during the Arnold Clark data breach are entitled to compensation. Law firms across the UK have launched class action claims to help affected customers and employees get the money they are due.
What happened in the Arnold Clark data breach?
In early 2022, prominent car dealership chain Arnold Clark experienced a data breach. Hackers infiltrated the company’s systems, gaining unauthorised access to sensitive customer data. This personal information included names, addresses, contact details, and even the ID documents of individuals who had interacted with Arnold Clark over the past decade. Bank information may also have been compromised in the attack.
In the wake of the breach, Arnold Clark took action to mitigate the damage and reassure affected customers and employees. The company launched an investigation to determine the extent of the breach and enhanced its cybersecurity measures. Additionally, Arnold Clark offered support to affected individuals, including credit monitoring services and guidance on safeguarding their personal information.
However, data breach lawyers believe that Arnold Clark’s failure to adopt proper security measures may have made this attack possible. Solicitors have also criticised the car dealership for not letting its customers know about the hack quick enough. While the breach happened before Christmas 2022, Arnold Clark didn’t start to inform those affected until late January 2023. According to lawyers, this left victims at a very high risk of scams, fraud attempts, and identity theft.
The impact of the Arnold Clark hack
Lawyers claim that the fallout from the breach was significant. Customers who had purchased, sold, or serviced their vehicles with Arnold Clark found themselves at risk of identity theft and fraud. With their sensitive information exposed, they faced potential threats such as unauthorised transactions and targeted phishing attempts. Employees of Arnold Clark were similarly impacted.
One data breach lawyer claims that frauds linked to the Arnold Clark hack are appearing all over the UK. Talking to Computer Weekly he said that: “numerous clients have uncovered evidence of identity theft, for example, unauthorized credit checks, sometimes dozens a day. Other clients have actually reported fraud going through.
“Huge numbers of them are experiencing an elevated level of fraud attempts, a whole variety of phishing, social media messages, text messages. Lots have had cold calls as well – for example, bogus calls from their bank’s fraud department. They are seeing a wide variety of cyber-criminal activity.
He added: “Whether the fraud is small or large it has the same consequences. You still need to get your money back. You still need to spend extra time protecting yourself against future frauds. You might have an impacted credit score – I have clients who have been refused credit on new cars due to all of these identity theft attempts.”
Protect yourself following the Arnold Clark hack
If you are affected by the Arnold Clark data breach, you must safeguard your information. Consider taking the following steps:
- Monitor your accounts. Keep a close eye on your bank statements, credit reports, and online accounts for any suspicious activity.
- Update your security settings. Ensure that your passwords are strong and unique for each account, and enable two-factor authentication whenever possible.
- Stay informed. Stay up to date on developments related to the breach.
- Be vigilant. Phishing often happens following a data breach, so watch out for attempts to extract further information from you.
- Report suspicious activity. If you notice any signs of unauthorised access or fraudulent activity, report it to the appropriate authorities and financial institutions immediately.
What to do if you think you might be affected by the Arnold Clark data breach
If you are affected by the Arnold Clark data breach you could have a no-win, no-fee data breach compensation claim. Our simple eligibility checker provides instant clarity. Answer a few straightforward questions, and you’ll know if you could qualify to join a group action claim.
If you do have a claim, register your interest and we’ll keep you updated with developments in this case.