Cybercriminals managed to steal bank details from South Staffordshire Water customers. Keller Postman UK is helping victims to claim compensation for this shocking data protection failure. Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we’ve received about this data breach.
How did the security incident happen?
When the attack first came to light, a ransomware group claimed to have hacked a different water company’s network (Thames Water) and demanded an extortion payment to prevent the release of the stolen data. Some of the stolen information was later shared on the dark web. However, the hackers misidentified the water company and it was South Staffordshire Water that was affected. The hackers also claimed that they could change the chemical composition of the water, but stressed that they were “not interested in causing harm to people”. South Staffordshire Water rebuffed claims that the criminals could poison water supplies.
What data was breached?
When the water company first announced the cyberattack in August 2022, it was reported that the criminals had accessed the personal data of current and former South Staffordshire Water employees.
Since then, South Staffordshire Water has been “working with leading forensic experts to investigate fully what happened”, and in a subsequent statement, the company confirmed that the “incident resulted in unauthorised access to some of the personal data we hold for a subset of our customers.” The affected details are believed to include:
- Customer names
- Customer addresses
- Account numbers and sort codes (if used to set up direct debit payments).
Was my information accessed in this breach?
South Staffordshire Water has contacted the affected individuals. If you are involved in this breach, you may have a claim for compensation. If you have not received notification, but are worried that you might be involved, you should contact South Staffordshire Water for clarification.
What should I do if I am worried that my details were involved in this breach?
Anyone who thinks they might be involved should take immediate steps to protect themselves. Information stolen in breaches is often used to commit cybercrimes. Privacy violations have resulted in fraud, blackmail, and identity theft, so as well as the immediate financial threat, data breach victims are at high risk of being targeted by cybercriminals.
Can I make a compensation claim?
What is a group action?
A group action claim is where a group of people – sometimes even thousands of people – have been affected by the same issue. Group action cases are also known as class actions, multi-claimant, or multi-party actions.
Can I make a compensation claim?
If you receive a letter from South Staffordshire Water informing you that your data is involved in this breach, you can join our no-win, no-fee compensation claim. There are no costs to register and no obligation to proceed.
How much will it cost me to claim?
There are no costs to join a claim. However, if your claim is successful, you may have to pay a ‘success fee’. This fee is taken from the compensation awarded to you. At Keller Postman UK, our success fee is competitive, and we make sure you are fully informed about any potential costs before you officially join our action. If you lose, you won’t have to pay a penny.
Where can I find out more information about this breach?
South Staffordshire Water has pulled together some FAQs about the data breach here.
How can I make a South Staffordshire Water data breach claim?
Keller Postman UK has launched an action to help those involved in the South Staffordshire Water data security failure claim compensation for any distress or financial losses experienced because of this breach. We urge anyone affected to register with us.
