hungry

If BA are skint they could just offer us all GGL for life instead. Id accept that 😂

lhrpete

Just think about how having had compromised your name, date of birth and address could pop up to compromise you for many years in the future. That's far worse than a credit card which you can cancel and replace. I have lived where I do for 30+ years and I don't plan to move for another five, any time between now and then I'm vulnerable because of BA's incompetence.

Agent69

And you could get run over by a bus when you next cross the road, but that's probably not going to happen either.

Worcester

I don't really understand that analogy, it materially misunderstands the risk. The chance of being hit by a bus is very small, I can't find published figures for people hit by a bus, but overall the number of people involved in all road traffic accidents in 2018 was 160,597 with the range from being killed to being slightly injured.

26% were pedestrians, so that takes the figure to 41,755

There are 32,000 buses in the UK according to Stagecoach. Compared to 40,000,000 cars, now buses are used far more than cars so lets assume by factor of 10, as a percentage of journeys that makes bus journeys 0.8% if all journeys. If we assume the same ratio between cars and buses of accidents this brings a estimate of 334 people being hit by a bus.

Now in 2018 there were a reported 189,108 cases of identity fraud and it is rising rapidly. These are reported cases and the true figure is almost certainly far higher, given that it is under reported and many cases go undetected.
Identity fraud is a growing problem and virtually risk free, the police are simply not interested and will just tell you to report to action fraud and forget about it. Seriously I have no idea why people commit other crimes. The results though can be devastating on the individual targeted. From refused credit, to having bailiffs turn up at your door, and it is often vulnerable people worst affected. It takes months to sort out and prove that you never took out the credit or committed fraud. Worse people have been duped into sending their house deposits to fraudsters, money they have spent years scrimping and saving for, irrecoverably lost.

So while I am delighted you have never been targeted, I would not dismiss quite so lightly.

Sources
https://assets.publishing.service.go...eport-2018.pdf
https://m.stagecoachgroup.com/~/medi...ry-faqs-v2.pdf
https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-ne...ere-in-the-uk/
https://www.cifas.org.uk/newsroom/id...d-up-one-third

Agent69

The problem with your response is that the overwhelming majority of the 189,108 cases of identity fraud in 2018 had nothing to do with data breaches at major companies.


1) Identity fraud has reached dizzying heights and according to fraud prevention group Cifas, there were more than 189,000 cases in the UK in 2018.

2) Cifas also found that 65% of identity theft victims had a social media or online presence. Criminals simply scanned the web for readily available information like name, date of birth, email and telephone number – making this the number one method of obtaining personal details.

3) Fraudsters also rely heavily on phishing scams to get hold of personal details. Around 35% of identity theft can be traced back to this particular type of cybercrime.

I am part of the BA data breach and also a similar situation at Talktalk. I'm not going to let it ruin my life.

https://www.fool.co.uk/mywallethero/...ics-in-the-uk/
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/b...-a8963486.html

Worcester

Fair point and I am delighted to hear that you won't let it ruin your life and agree that is totally the right attitude. I would venture to guess that more people are victim to these data hacks than are run down by buses (or in fact any wheel transport)
Companies do have a duty of care, I am not sure what is controversial about a company having to obey the law?

itsmeitisss

With the number of credit agencies allowing free credit reports, surely it's pretty elementary to be able to keep an eye out for nefarious credit applications? I'm frankly sick of the number of ambulance chasing ads I'm getting from companies advertising money for nothing.

lhrpete

That of course is true but completely irrelevant to the BA data breach for which they were responsible and judged to be so by the information commissioner.

Agent69

If you bothered to read my original post you would note that it was in regard to the consequences of the breach, not the breach itself. The fact remains that the liklehood of you suffering loss or distress from the breach is remote.

lhrpete

It's not really for you to state that and in my view you are mistaken. It's of no use whatever to state that it's remote when several years down the line you are scammed.

Then there are those in this forum who will always defend BA no matter how ridiculous they sound.

Agent69

A somewhat predictable response. If you can't challenge the message then bad mouth the messenger.

PS: I have never defended BA in respect of the breach, all I have suggested is that the effects of the breach are probably far less than the hype being whipped up in certain quarters.

abitwild

In hindsight, I ended up being category 1 with the data breach claim. I'd been BA Gold for 10+ years. I did shift most business to Star at the time and it did work out well prior to Covid. And has done since. I was being pragmatic then and am now. Since then, Newcastle losing its BA lounge, unfortunately, is not great. And that's because I know just how amazing the Aspire lounge at NCL is in comparison to ye olde BA lounge.

At least airlines at NCL are now on a level playing field - lounge wise. :-)

Take your pick.

Maybe the new lounge will be built sooner rather than later. But will BA pay for it?!