Data Breaches

Dreaded words no one wants to hear...

What have they seen? What should I do? How worried should I be?

Data breaches impact everybody, and most of the time, there is little customers can do to prevent them.

However, being vigilant and keeping your details under wraps will put you in a much stronger position. Here are a few things we recommend to take back a little control.

Understanding what details are at risk is the start

Should a data breach occur, companies holding your details should contact you right away to explain the situation and what details have been shared. It's usually things like:

• Your name
• Your address
• Your gender
• Your date of birth
• Sensitive financial information, like your National Insurance number
• Any other information you've given the company, including messages and photos

So what can you do?

If it's out of the ordinary, it's a red flag. Take a look below at our top tips for avoiding and managing a data breach headache.

Have your wits about you

Be cautious of any emails, phone calls, or texts that sound suspicious, particularly from anyone claiming to be from your workplace, bank, HMRC, utility companies, or phone provider.

Remember, just because they know your personal details doesn't mean they are legitimate.

Be wary of unplanned calls that don't add up

Your bank is unlikely to call you unexpectedly. They will never ask you to move money or share personal details such as your PIN or password.

And if your internet provider calls, they will never need you to log into your online banking or mobile banking app to ‘check’ if fraud has occurred.

Also, remember that fraudsters can copy phone numbers, so the number they're calling from and even their caller ID can look legitimate. Feel free to hang up and call the company directly if you're concerned.

Check your credit file

Stolen personal information allows fraudsters to set up bank accounts or borrow money in other peoples' names. New Direct Debits set up using your name, account number, and sort code are the ones to watch out for.

Regularly checking your credit file makes it easier to spot anything that's out of the ordinary. You can do this with Cifas' Protective Registration.

Be wary of links sent over email and text message

Text messages or emails containing links can sometimes take you to fake websites where you'll be asked to enter personal information.

If you're concerned, check with the company in question before sharing any data, especially if you receive the message unprompted.

Keep your money safe

Kroo employees will never ask you to move your money to prevent fraud. If someone claiming to be from Kroo does, please contact us right away.

This applies to all businesses that may contact you. If in doubt, hang up and contact them directly. This is the rule to live by.

Here at Kroo, we continuously monitor our platform and raise alerts 24/7 in case there is anything that needs our attention. And we have a 24/7 engineering rota that responds to alerts.

If a breach happens, this is what to expect from us:

• We'll contact you directly via our Kroo app or email you to inform you of the breach if your data has been impacted.
• Our support team will update you as soon as any additional information is available.