National Fraud Helpline is warning M&S customers to be wary of scams after the store was hit by cyber hackers.
A number of high street chains including M&S and Co-op have been affected by cyber attacks, leaving shelves empty and online orders disrupted.
The retailers have warned that the hackers, a group known as ‘DragonForce’, may have been able to access customer data.
National Fraud Helpline says it fears that this data will be sold to scammers and then used by the fraudsters to help trick customers out of money.
A sizable amount of data from 20 million Co-Op members has been compromised, with M&S also warning that details including customers’ dates of birth and online order histories have been accessed.
However, it has been confirmed that passwords and important financial details were not stolen from either company.
Martin Richardson, senior partner at National Fraud Helpline, said: ‘There’s a very real danger that stolen data will be sold to scammers.
‘By having information about customers’ accounts, it is easier for fraudsters to pretend to victims that they are calling or emailing from a genuine store and then exploit them in order to steal money from them.
‘Anyone getting communication from a store that has suffered a cyber attack should be very wary.’
There are several steps you can take on your personal devices to stay protected at home and at work if you believe that your data may have been compromised.
If you are sent unexpected attachments, make sure not to download them and never click on links in suspicious emails.
Malicious links can lead you to online forms that encourage you to give away your personal and financial details.
You can verify suspicious emails by contacting the company they appear to come from.
When downloading apps or software, only use a trusted source or the phone’s in-built application store.
Keeping your PC operating system updated and downloading the latest anti-virus programs mean you’ll have the latest security protections, making it difficult for hackers to access your data.
M&S Operations Director, Jayne Wall, issued a message to customers saying: “You do not need to take any action, but you might receive emails, calls or texts claiming to be from M&S when they are not, so do be cautious.”
Although no passwords were lost in either attack, M&S is advising customers to reset their account passwords “for extra peace of mind”.
Have you lost money to a scam? Contact National Fraud Helpline. Call 0333 0033218 or fill out our Claim Form.