Sub-Prime loan company Shopacheck issues warning to it’s customers and staff
It is understood that personal records of around 1.4 million Shopacheck customers have gone missing from the companies head office in Batley, West Yorkshire. Sources said that the customer data understood to contain customer names, addresses, date of birth and other personal information was on two IT back up storage tapes that have gone missing.
Cattles Group, the owners of Shopacheck have said that they are unsure how the tapes went missing but could not rule out the possibility of them being stolen. The company has already notified the police as well as the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and the Information Commissioner. Shopacheck customers have also been notified of the situation and have been given advice on precautionary action to protect them from possible identity theft.
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Security breach at Sub-prime lender Shopacheck
Not just Shopacheck customers are at risk of identity theft following the incident as the tapes also contained personal information of staff employed by the company. It is understood that the tapes went missing sometime before Christmas, but could have been as early as November. In a letter sent to customers Managing Director Mark Bardsley said "We have no evidence that the information has fallen into the wrong hands or been used maliciously.
However, we cannot rule out the risk that the data has been or may be accessed and so must warn you that there is the potential for your personal information to be misused."
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In a statement issued by the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) the ICO said "We have recently been informed of a data breach involving Welcome Financial Services Limited including its business Shopacheck. We believe they are taking steps to inform those affected. We will be making enquiries into the circumstances of the apparent breach of the Data Protection Act before deciding what action, if any, needs to be taken".
The company has since set up a free customer helpline for anyone concerned you can contact them on 0800 8406 563.
Photo Courtesy of Otama on Flickr.com
Comments
by NimbyEater
Monday, January 09 2012, 8:27PM
“I'd imagine the fine probably won't hit them that ahrd, they can carry on trading.
I'd suggest the FSA look to bar the directors from running a company handling personal information.
This sort of thing just isn't taken seriously enough.
Given it looks like Anonymous have just leaked the details of government officials
http://tinyurl.com/7vo5xhg
It'll be interesting to see if they consider the theft of government officials personal data a little more seriously.”
by Trucks79
Monday, January 09 2012, 11:02AM
“@Bristoldjsuk I just cant understand how a financial company such as Cattles could be so silly and lack respect for their customers in such a way that the company security is so poor. Like you said they should have protected the tapes. I for one hope that the ICO and FSA come down hard on them, It is about time that they pay a high price.”
by Bristoldjsuk
Monday, January 09 2012, 8:38AM
“They will be in a serious amount of trouble with the FSA. It can go to the point of losing your financial licence in serious malpractice cases. Lack of encryption is unreal, I thought all data stored was encrypted nowadays.. They go to massive lengths in our place to protect it!
As for damage limitations, there is little people can actually do with bank account numbers, NI numbers however is worrying, they are very useful, especially with illegal workers etc.”
by Trucks79
Monday, January 09 2012, 8:27AM
“@BCFCfinker From what I can tell the other information includes NI numbers, payment history details I am not sure about bank account details but I would have thought they would be linked to each account.”
by Trucks79
Monday, January 09 2012, 8:24AM
“A spokesperson at Cattles said the company "deeply regrets" the incident. "We have employed a specialist data security firm with extensive experience in financial services, to review data security across the group and advise on any necessary improvements,"”
by KNIGEL
Monday, January 09 2012, 7:34AM
“I will write back to them and ask about the delay and emcyption issue.”
by BCFCfinker
Monday, January 09 2012, 2:30AM
“Considering that there is no mention of 'encryption' in this article, one can only assume that the backups were not encrypted (company's like this are normally quick to say that they are not worried because they use encryption).
It's the '...other personal information...' that needs explaining.
The FSA are the people who can inflict the most damage on this company.
The ICO are quite impotent and that is apparent from their canned statement.”
by katachua
Sunday, January 08 2012, 10:36PM
“A month's delay is simply unacceptable. What happened? Did they run out of quill pens and men with cleft sticks?”
by Trucks79
Sunday, January 08 2012, 10:27PM
“@Knigel just can't understand how it took them a month to respond by letting their customers know. Granted it was Christmas so delays in post ect but an issue like this they should have made every effort to let people know the second they knew. They should have issued a press statement to the media so that people could take action to protect their id. To announce this weeks later is totally out of order.”
by Trucks79
Sunday, January 08 2012, 10:25PM
“@NimbyEater yes the Police are aware of the missing tapes. The OFT, FSA and the ICO are aware of it.
The IFO said that they will be making enquiries into the circumstances of the apparent breach of the Data Protection Act before deciding what action, if any, needs to be taken".
So lets hope that they do take action, as I understand the max penalty is £500.000 it is about time this company feels the full force of the law. The internet is full of complaint after complaint concerning welcome finance. both welcome finance and shopacheck are owned by Cattles who are on the edge of going under as I understand.”