JD Sports, a leading sportswear retailer, has announced that it has suffered a data breach that has affected the personal information of 10 million customers. The breach occurred on January 30, 2023, and affected customers who placed orders with JD Sports between November 2018 and October 2020. The information that was stolen includes names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and the last four digits of credit card numbers.
JD Sports has said that it is working with the police and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) to investigate the breach. The company has also said that it is offering affected customers free credit monitoring and identity theft protection.
This is the second major data breach to hit a UK retailer in recent months. In November 2022, it was revealed that hackers had stolen the personal information of 50 million customers of British Airways.
The recent data breaches have raised concerns about the security of customer data held by retailers. Customers are advised to be vigilant and to take steps to protect their personal information, such as using strong passwords and being careful about what information they share online.
What to do if you are affected by the JD Sports data breach
If you are affected by the JD Sports data breach, there are a number of things you can do to protect yourself:
Check your credit report: The information that was stolen in the breach, such as your name, address, and email address, could be used to open new accounts in your name. It is important to check your credit report regularly for any unauthorized activity.
Place a fraud alert on your credit report: A fraud alert tells creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity before opening new accounts in your name. You can place a fraud alert by contacting one of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion.
Monitor your accounts: It is important to monitor your bank and credit card accounts for any unauthorized activity. If you see anything suspicious, report it to your bank or credit card company immediately.
Use strong passwords: Use strong passwords for all of your online accounts and change them regularly. A strong password is at least 12 characters long and includes a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Be careful about what information you share online: Be careful about what information you share online, especially on social media. Hackers can use information you share online to target you for scams and identity theft.
What JD Sports is doing to protect customers
JD Sports has said that it is taking a number of steps to protect customers following the data breach, including:
Investigating the breach: JD Sports is working with the police and the ICO to investigate the breach.
Providing free credit monitoring and identity theft protection: JD Sports is offering affected customers free credit monitoring and identity theft protection.
Improving security measures: JD Sports is improving its security measures to prevent future breaches.
JD Sports has said that it is committed to protecting the personal information of its customers and that it is taking the breach very seriously.
