What evidence do you need to make a PFEW data breach compensation claim?

Our expert lawyers are helping thousands of current and former police officers to claim compensation after the Police Federation of England & Wales (PFEW) compromised their personal data.

The process to make a no-win, no-fee PFEW claim with us is straightforward and hassle-free. However, to help us make the strongest case possible on your behalf, we will ask you to provide us with information about how the breach affected you. So, what kind of evidence do you need to make a PFEW data breach claim?

Evidence to show that you were involved in the PFEW data breach

Over 120,000 police officers had their data exposed when a ransomware cyber-attack hit the PFEW headquarters. Officers at all levels were affected. Also, guests who stayed at the PFEW conference and hotel facilities in Leatherhead between 1 September 2018 and 9 March 2019 may also have had their details put at risk. In addition, members who requested PFEW assistance for any investigation, inquiry or complaint could have had their name, address, National Insurance number, and bank details accessed.

Many of those affected have not been notified of their involvement. But if you were, we would like a copy of this confirmation.

If you suspect your data was compromised in this cyberattack, but you have not been told that your information was breached, you can contact our data protection experts for help.

Evidence to show how the PFEW data breach affected you

To win your case, we need to show that the PFEW breached your data, and that this breach has harmed you in some way. Things we might use to prove this include:

Details of any phishing attacks or scams linked to the data breach

Where cybercriminals are involved in a breach, it is not uncommon to become the target of attempted phishing scams as this data regularly gets sold and used for nefarious purposes. If you experience any phishing or other scam attempts that you believe are linked to the PFEW data breach, and these have caused you distress or financial harm, please keep any evidence. If you decide to make a data breach claim, we can use this to support your case.

Details of any money lost because of the data breach

If you experience any financial loss because of the PFEW data breach, please make a note of this and keep any evidence. For example:

Bank statements
Correspondence (letters, emails, etc.) with banks, credit card providers, credit reference agencies, etc.
Credit score reports (with dates of any dips)
Evidence of any fraudulent transactions, fraud attempts, alerts, cancelled cards that relate specifically to this data breach.

Details of any mental health conditions caused or made worse because of the PFEW data breach

Following a data privacy violation, many victims go on to suffer from stress, anxiety, and distress. People often feel shock, anger, fear, helplessness, and panic. Simply knowing that your details could be in the hands of cybercriminals can cause or exacerbate mental health conditions. This is especially true for police officers given the nature of the relationship between criminals and those in law enforcement.

If you experience emotional distress because of this data breach, please keep any evidence. For example, details about medical appointments/prescriptions that relate to this data breach.

Details of any expenses or inconvenience incurred

Following a data breach, people often spend a significant amount of time on the phone to their banks, and/or to credit reference agencies. Sometimes, there are travel costs and medical expenses required, and it might be possible to add these to your claim.

It is not unusual that – on reviewing a data breach case – we uncover information that allows us to increase the value of a claim significantly. What might seem irrelevant to you, could make a huge difference in the eyes of the law. So, please keep a hold of anything that might be useful just in case.

It is important to keep all the evidence you can find

Once you register to join our PFEW data breach claim, we’ll ask for the evidence we need. You have a legal duty to preserve any documents that might be relevant to your claim – even if they support the defendant’s case. Deliberately destroying or otherwise making any evidence unusable could be a contempt of court and could harm your case.

Make a PFEW data breach claim

Our data breach team includes some of the most skilled litigation lawyers in England and Wales.

We have the experience, diligence and means to fight our clients’ corner and win, and we are never afraid of a fight.

Ready to take on the large, deep-pocket organisations that other law firms shy away from, regardless of the strength and resources of the defendant, we seek to give victims the justice they deserve.

Our experience in reaching a successful conclusion following a data protection failure is unmatched. As such, we would encourage anyone involved in the PFEW data violation to talk to our specialists and benefit from an experienced firm that has the proven track record to hold well-funded organisations to account for their failures.

Any members who wish to invite friends and colleagues to join this action can do so when signing up.