Data Breach Incident

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Skie

There was a spate of phishing/scam emails not too long ago where people were receiving blackmail emails, basically "we know you visited greasygrannies.com and will make this public knowledge if you dont pay us £1k in bitcoin".

Whilst it was just a scam and the websites weren't actually visited, imagine those guys actually got hold of this database: they'd know what sites you'd submitted and could make fairly accurate threats and possibly even follow through on them. The original attempt was just a mass spam attempt to hopefully get a small number of fools, but actually being able to target people...

In that scam they had got hold of Linked Ins emails and passwords, I know because I got one of them. They tried to say that we know your Linked in username is XXXXXXXX and password is XXXXXXX. if you don't send us the money we'll send a video to all your Linked In connections.

[Gavin-D]

PORN COCK-UP Virgin Media faces £4.5billion fine after exposing customers’ PORN searches

VIRGIN Media faces a comp- ensation bill of £4.5billion after leaving customers’ private details online, including which porn sites they watch. The telecoms giant left the personal details of 900,000 customers accessible for ten months.

Full names, email addresses, dates of birth, telephone numbers — and also their requests to unblock explicit websites — were listed. The database, used for marketing purposes, included 1,100 names who asked for adult websites to be unblocked by using online forms.

Most phone networks automatically block the sites and ask users to provide proof of age. The data breach did not include passwords or financial details. Your Lawyers, a consumer action and data breach law firm, is suing Virgin Media for affected customers after the breach was uncovered by a security researcher earlier this year.

It estimates each of them could be in line for £5,000 compensation for financial and emotional distress.

Crooks could have used the information to blackmail or scam victims. The cock-up was caused by an incorrectly configured database.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/11266...ata-leak-porn/


Virgin Media customers who received and still have proof (email sent from VM) you can join the Virgin Media Data Breach Group Action below to seek compensation.

https://www.yourlawyers.co.uk/

[Pierre]

I would have thought compensation would only be applicable if the individuals concerned could prove that their "porn search" had actually been made public or if they had proof of being blackmailed or something like that for emotional distress.

[iadom]

I would guess that today’s ambulance chasing lawyers will argue that every single person sent the email would have been exposed to some degree of inconvenience even if like me it was just a noticeable increase in spam.

I have already deleted the email.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Gavin-D

PORN COCK-UP Virgin Media faces £4.5billion fine after exposing customers’ PORN searches

VIRGIN Media faces a comp- ensation bill of £4.5billion after leaving customers’ private details online, including which porn sites they watch. The telecoms giant left the personal details of 900,000 customers accessible for ten months.

Full names, email addresses, dates of birth, telephone numbers — and also their requests to unblock explicit websites — were listed. The database, used for marketing purposes, included 1,100 names who asked for adult websites to be unblocked by using online forms.

Most phone networks automatically block the sites and ask users to provide proof of age. The data breach did not include passwords or financial details. Your Lawyers, a consumer action and data breach law firm, is suing Virgin Media for affected customers after the breach was uncovered by a security researcher earlier this year.

It estimates each of them could be in line for £5,000 compensation for financial and emotional distress.

Crooks could have used the information to blackmail or scam victims. The cock-up was caused by an incorrectly configured database.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/11266...ata-leak-porn/


Virgin Media customers who received and still have proof (email sent from VM) you can join the Virgin Media Data Breach Group Action below to seek compensation.

https://www.yourlawyers.co.uk/

Cheers Gavin, i've just done this, five grand would come in very handy. It would also help to impress the importance of keeping customer details safe on this incompetent company in the only way they understand.

---------- Post added at 18:36 ---------- Previous post was at 18:34 ----------

Originally Posted by iadom

I would guess that today’s ambulance chasing lawyers will argue that every single person sent the email would have been exposed to some degree of inconvenience even if like me it was just a noticeable increase in spam.

I have already deleted the email.

Yes, claimants have to confirm that this has caused them distress and in what way.

[Mythica]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Cheers Gavin, i've just done this, five grand would come in very handy. It would also help to impress the importance of keeping customer details safe on this incompetent company in the only way they understand.

---------- Post added at 18:36 ---------- Previous post was at 18:34 ----------



Yes, claimants have to confirm that this has caused them distress and in what way.

Let's say you win, let's say lots of people win, then you'll complain prices will rise due to them trying to recoup the costs.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Cheers Gavin, i've just done this, five grand would come in very handy. It would also help to impress the importance of keeping customer details safe on this incompetent company in the only way they understand

Never had you down as a consumer of specialist adult sites.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Mythica

Let's say you win, let's say lots of people win, then you'll complain prices will rise due to them trying to recoup the costs.

I'm thinking of dumping VM completely anyway as their already atrocious customer service is now actually getting worse.

---------- Post added at 19:07 ---------- Previous post was at 19:03 ----------

Originally Posted by Pierre

Never had you down as a consumer of specialist adult sites.

It wasn't just porn related data though, they left details of names, addresses, phone numbers etc for all to see.

I received an email saying that they had accessed my webcam whilst I was watching extreme porn and a threat that, if I didn't pay, the video would be released.

I've had phone calls to my ex directory private number trying to scam me too

[Mythica]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

I'm thinking of dumping VM completely anyway as their already atrocious customer service is now actually getting worse.

---------- Post added at 19:07 ---------- Previous post was at 19:03 ----------



It wasn't just porn related data though, they left details of names, addresses, phone numbers etc for all to see.

I received an email saying that they had accessed my webcam whilst I was watching extreme porn and a threat that, if I didn't pay, the video would be released.

I've had phone calls to my ex directory private number trying to scam me too

Until they offer you discount, then its rinse and repeat.

I've had the same email and it had nothing to do with VM

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

I received an email saying that they had accessed my webcam whilst I was watching extreme porn and a threat that, if I didn't pay, the video would be released.

Is your email unique to VM, not used on any other site, at all, ever ?
Unless it is, you cannot prove that spammers got it from that specific database.
Also, do you have a webcam, did you watch porn ? if not then the "threat" is meaningless.

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

I've had phone calls to my ex directory private number trying to scam me too

So ? ex directory means very little, scammers just dial numbers in turn.
Also, again, is VM the only site, ever, that has your phone number ?

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Mythica

Until they offer you discount, then its rinse and repeat.

I've had the same email and it had nothing to do with VM

It's now that bad that I think i'd rather pay more for a better service, having said that, for what I watch Freeview/Freesat would do me. Maybe dip in and out of Now TV too.

I assumed that the email was as a result of the VM data breach, which caused me some distress. Even if it wasn't, the fact that the data breach took place made the situation worse.

---------- Post added at 20:25 ---------- Previous post was at 20:21 ----------

Originally Posted by Paul

Is your email unique to VM, not used on any other site, at all, ever ?
Unless it is, you cannot prove that spammers got it from that specific database.
Also, do you have a webcam, did you watch porn ? if not then the "threat" is meaningless.


So ? ex directory means very little, scammers just dial numbers in turn.
Also, again, is VM the only site, ever, that has your phone number ?

Yes, i've read that they have auto dialers starting with specific number ranges and gradually moving forward.

I only use the VM email address that I received the blackmail attempt on for VM business as I didn't want any hassle should I ever leave them. It was awful, it even said that thst I should think twice befire going to the police!

I do have a webcam, but aren't into watching porn, but you never know how scammers can doctor things these days. I did seek professional advice and was advised that it was just a random attempt to frighten those who have been watching inappropriate porn.

[nomadking]

The data may have been open, but nobody noticed and accessed it.

[Mythica]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

It's now that bad that I think i'd rather pay more for a better service, having said that, for what I watch Freeview/Freesat would do me. Maybe dip in and out of Now TV too.

I assumed that the email was as a result of the VM data breach, which caused me some distress. Even if it wasn't, the fact that the data breach took place made the situation worse.

---------- Post added at 20:25 ---------- Previous post was at 20:21 ----------



Yes, i've read that they have auto dialers starting with specific number ranges and gradually moving forward.

I only use the VM email address that I received the blackmail attempt on for VM business as I didn't want any hassle should I ever leave them. It was awful, it even said that thst I should think twice befire going to the police!

I do have a webcam, but aren't into watching porn, but you never know how scammers can doctor things these days. I did seek professional advice and was advised that it was just a random attempt to frighten those who have been watching inappropriate porn.

If you dont watch porn, why did you need to seek 'professional' advice over something you know couldn't be true?

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by nomadking

The data may have been open, but nobody noticed and accessed it.

It's been confirmed by VM that the data was actually accessed.

---------- Post added at 20:47 ---------- Previous post was at 20:46 ----------

Originally Posted by Mythica

If you dont watch porn, why did you need to seek 'professional' advice over something you know couldn't be true?

Because blackmail, or attempted blackmail, is a serious criminal offence.

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Because blackmail, or attempted blackmail, is a serious criminal offence.

How is that relevant ?
Blackmail is impossible if you havent done what they said, and you said you havent.