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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/whsmith-data-breach-customers-report-it-glitch-distributing-peoples-personal-details-10482378.html
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| WHSmith data breach: Customers report IT glitch 'distributing people's personal details' | WHSmith data breach: Customers report IT glitch 'distributing people's personal details' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| WHSmith customers are reporting what appears to be a major data protection breach, with the retailer's IT system distributing "hundreds" of people's personal information via mass email. | WHSmith customers are reporting what appears to be a major data protection breach, with the retailer's IT system distributing "hundreds" of people's personal information via mass email. |
| The reported breach seemed to involve the company's Magazines subscription service. Customers who had used the related "Contact Us" form said they started receiving spam emails this morning that included other people's phone numbers, names and email addresses. | The reported breach seemed to involve the company's Magazines subscription service. Customers who had used the related "Contact Us" form said they started receiving spam emails this morning that included other people's phone numbers, names and email addresses. |
| Jono Read wrote on Twitter that it appeared "every time someone emails WHSmith about magazine subscriptions it's going to everyone on the database, details too". | Jono Read wrote on Twitter that it appeared "every time someone emails WHSmith about magazine subscriptions it's going to everyone on the database, details too". |
| Another user, Lynn Schreiber, posted screenshots of the problem and said she was getting "dozens of emails". | Another user, Lynn Schreiber, posted screenshots of the problem and said she was getting "dozens of emails". |
| She said some users were exacerbating the problem by reporting it via the "contact us" form, and seeing those emails also forwarded to "random folk". | She said some users were exacerbating the problem by reporting it via the "contact us" form, and seeing those emails also forwarded to "random folk". |
| In one message, a user named Charlie appeared to have realised this, and sent a "shout-out to my awersome husband and daughter". | In one message, a user named Charlie appeared to have realised this, and sent a "shout-out to my awersome husband and daughter". |
| Anyone else getting dozens of emails via @WHSmith contact form ? Including phone numbers pic.twitter.com/960EZYNSSE | Anyone else getting dozens of emails via @WHSmith contact form ? Including phone numbers pic.twitter.com/960EZYNSSE |
| Hi Charlie! Hope you are having a fun day. Maybe we should all stop complaining and just chat ;-) #whsmith pic.twitter.com/rkfhBP6fs0 | Hi Charlie! Hope you are having a fun day. Maybe we should all stop complaining and just chat ;-) #whsmith pic.twitter.com/rkfhBP6fs0 |
| Dozens of users have complained on the retailer's Facebook page. User Steph Armitt said she had received "65 emails starting at 00.12 this morning". Yasmin Schulze said she had "over 20 emails so far from your contact us forms with customers emails and phone numbers". She added that it was "not only a privacy issue but also highly annoying". | Dozens of users have complained on the retailer's Facebook page. User Steph Armitt said she had received "65 emails starting at 00.12 this morning". Yasmin Schulze said she had "over 20 emails so far from your contact us forms with customers emails and phone numbers". She added that it was "not only a privacy issue but also highly annoying". |
| While some described the incident as a possible WHSmith "hack", others suggested it may be down to a glitch in the retailer's IT system. | While some described the incident as a possible WHSmith "hack", others suggested it may be down to a glitch in the retailer's IT system. |
| Many complained about the lack of a response from the company - and one, Claire Brown, even suggested that her first post complaining of the issue "has been deleted". | Many complained about the lack of a response from the company - and one, Claire Brown, even suggested that her first post complaining of the issue "has been deleted". |
| Update: WHSmith appears to have taken down the "Contact Us" page involved. Otherwise, the retailer's press office is not responding to requests for comment and the company is yet to provide any updates online. | |
| More follows | More follows |