Leigh Day investigating claims on behalf of TalkTalk customers

Leading group action and information law solicitors Leigh Day are investigating claims for compensation by TalkTalk customers following the theft of their personal information from TalkTalk or its contractors following security breaches.

During the past year affected customers have been contacted by fraudsters pretending to be TalkTalk staff, who have been able to quote the customers’ personal details, including their names, addresses and account numbers.

Having gained their trust, the fraudsters then took over the customers’ computers in order to “fix” problems and then arranged for money to be taken from the customers’ bank accounts.  It is reported that dozens have been affected by the fraud, each losing thousands of pounds.

Sean Humber, a solicitor at Leigh Day specialising in information law commented:

“It will be important to critically review how the personal information was stolen, as well as the adequacy or otherwise of the security measures in place.

It will also be important to establish quite when TalkTalk first became aware of these breaches and how and when they passed this information on to affected customers, many of whom seemed unaware of the problem at the time that they were defrauded.

Those affected may have claims for breach of their confidence by arguing that the losses suffered were caused by the initial unauthorised disclosure of their confidential information by TalkTalk and / or its contractors.  They may also have claims under the Data Protection Act in relation to the failure to hold their information safely."