Carphone Warehouse data incident

Carphone Warehouse data incident

The phone retailer Carphone Warehouse has reported that its computer systems have suffered a ‘sophisticated cyber-attack’ that has put customers’ personal data at risk.

The company says that personal data – which may include names, addresses, dates of birth and bank details – of up to 2.4 million customers of the companies listed below may have been accessed. Encrypted credit card data of up to 90,000 customers may also have been breached.

The attack affected the division of Carphone Warehouse that operates or provides services to:

OneStopPhoneShop.com;
e2save.com;
Mobiles.co.uk;
iD Mobile;
TalkTalk Mobile;
Talk Mobile; and
some Carphone Warehouse customers.

Data breaches can increase the risk of ‘identity theft’, where a person’s data is used fraudulently – for example, to open bank accounts or take out credit cards.

An ICO spokesperson said:

“We have been made aware of this incident at the Carphone Warehouse and are making enquiries. Anytime personal data is lost there can be a risk of identity theft. There are measures you can take to guard against identity theft, for instance being vigilant around items on your credit card statements or checking your credit ratings