No letter? No email? That doesn’t mean you’re in the clear.
Following the Chestertons data breach, many people are left wondering whether their personal data has been exposed. Chestertons has confirmed that it has legal procedures in place to notify affected individuals when a personal data breach occurs, however, according to some data breach experts, many of those affected still haven’t received data breach notification letters.
Reports suggest that only some individuals have received letters or emails informing them of the breach. There’s evidence many may not have been contacted at all.
That’s a problem.
What this means for you
Even if you haven’t been directly informed, your data could still be at risk. Chestertons may only have reached out to those it could reliably identify. But records could have been held in archived systems, meaning you might have been overlooked.
Was I affected by the Chestertons data breach?
If you’ve ever dealt with Chestertons, even years ago, you could be affected. This includes anyone who:
- Bought or sold a property through Chestertons
- Rented a home or signed a tenancy agreement
- Made an enquiry or submitted ID documents
- Shared bank details for rent or deposit payments
Some of the exposed data goes back years. That means you don’t have to be an active customer to be at risk. And if criminals got hold of your passport or driving licence, they could still try to use it now.
What data was exposed, and why does it matter?
The breach involved highly sensitive information, exactly the kind of data criminals look for. According to reports, the stolen files included:
- Emails
- Passwords
- Passport details
- Addresses
- Bank details, and credit card information
- Some correspondence related to vetting, landlord disputes, and health records.
This kind of information can be used to impersonate you, apply for credit in your name, or trick you into handing over more details through scams. Even if no money has been stolen yet, the risk of future identity theft or fraud is real and lasting. Therefore, you may be entitled to compensation.
Join the Claim connects consumers with SRA-regulated lawyers. Visit the claim page to check your eligibility if a claim is open with one of our trusted legal partners. If a group action has not yet been launched, you can register your interest and we’ll keep you informed if a partner firm decides to take a claim forward.
