Scams and fraud resulting from the Virgin Media data breach

Victims of the Virgin Media data breach saw loss of personal data that included email addresses, home addresses and phone numbers. Their data was left exposed due to an unsecured database that could have easily been corrected. While no financial details were exposed, victims of the breach can nevertheless fall prey to scams and fraud attempts in the aftermath.

Many can underestimate the damage that can be done by cybercriminals who have access to contact details, assuming that there is no risk to bank accounts. Unfortunately, fraudsters and scammers have ways of gaining access to your accounts with just a little data at their disposal, so victims must remain vigilant in the face of these risks.

If Virgin Media had not exposed its marketing database, the victims may never have been confronted with such risks. Whether they have suffered from scams and fraud or not, those affected by the Virgin Media data breach can be eligible to claim compensation, so join our group action now if you think you have a claim.

Types of scams and fraud

In the Virgin Media data breach, a marketing database was accessed by an unauthorised third-party on a least one occasion. The system was left vulnerable for ten months, so cybercriminals could have had plenty of time to copy and save the data elsewhere for malicious purposes.

In the wrong hands, contact details stored by Virgin Media could be used to target victims with scams and fraud attempts.

One of the most common types of scams is phishing, whereby scammers send emails or texts in which they pretend to be a reputable organisation. In reality, they intend to try and dupe people into handing over data like bank and card details in order to steal from their victims’ accounts.

When targeting Virgin Media victims, the cybercriminals may pretend to be the company’s customer service team, using the real event to add a sense of truth to their scam. Data breach victims may also receive phone calls, which can be even more convincing as it can sound like an honest person is on the other end of the line. This kind of thing does happen, so victims must be wary of it.

What can victims do?

People must be vigilant and carefully consider what they are doing before engaging with people who contact you. If you cannot be sure that the sender or caller has honest intentions, stop in your tracks and consider how you can verify this. You could always find an actual number or email address yourself via their own website to make sure and contact them back.

Reputable companies will almost never ask you to give them your details over text or email, so this can be your first red flag. You should also never click on a link in a suspicious email, as this could trigger a virus, infecting your device.

Make your compensation claim today

It is important to remember that you should never stand by and simply accept these risks. You can have a right to claim compensation for being forced to confront scams and fraud as a result of a data breach.

While Virgin Media is not entirely responsible for the actions of cybercriminals, they can be held accountable for exposing you to the risks of malicious communication. You may be able to claim for the distress, financial losses and expenses you have suffered due to these dangers.

We have years of data breach claims and group action experience behind us. For our Virgin Media group action, you can trust us to fight for the compensation you deserve.

Our sign-up process is quick and easy, so start your claim today.

The content of this post/page was considered accurate at the time of the original posting and/or at the time of any posted revision. The content of this page may, therefore, be out of date. The information contained within this page does not constitute legal advice. Any reliance you place on the information contained within this page is done so at your own risk.