Protecting your confidential information from third-party data breaches
What is a third-party data breach?
A third-party data breach is when a partner or supplier of a company that stores your confidential information suffers a theft or hacking attack.
We've answered some questions that many people have about this kind of situation. You'll find this helpful if you've been affected by a third-party data breach or want to make sure you're better protected in case of one.
Is my money safe?
Yes, your money is safe. We understand this will be a worrying time for you. If we have any reason to believe your account needs additional protection, we’ll contact you.
When you’re the victim of fraud, you're not liable for the money that’s taken from your account.
How do we keep your money and personal information safe?
Our fraud monitoring service:
We’re always checking for any suspicious activity on your account. If we see a transaction that looks unusual, we might delay or decline it, or even block your account, until we can ask you to confirm it’s genuine.
We do this by sending a message to your phone or tablet, or by a call from our automated system. So, it’s important to make sure the contact details we have for you are correct.
Read more about how we keep your money safe
How do I know if I’ve been affected by a data breach?
Usually, when a company has been exposed to a data breach, they’ll contact anyone who’s been affected.
The company will tell you what information they believe is at risk and what you need to do. For example, you might need to change a password for your account.
What can I do if I think I’ve been affected by a data breach?
With most data breaches, there’s no need to contact us. We’ll contact you if we think your information or money is at risk.
If you see any activity on your account that looks suspicious, contact us immediately. Send us a message from the Help section of our app or call the number on the back of your debit or credit card.
Here are some ways to help keep your information safe:
- Check your account to make sure you recognise all the payments. If you see anything you don’t recognise, please contact us
- Keep a close eye on your credit rating for any unexpected activity or changes
- Be suspicious of any unexpected phone calls, text messages, emails, letters, or social media posts asking for personal information that claim to be from your bank or other organisation. If some of your data has already been stolen, fraudsters often pretend to be legitimate companies to trick you into giving them more of your information
- Keep your debit and credit card PINs, PINsentry codes, mobile activation codes, QR codes, and online banking passcodes secret. If anyone asks for any of these codes, contact the company asking for them directly using a phone number you’ve confirmed is correct. Don’t call a contact number they’ve given you as it could be fake
- Use different, secure passwords for all your online accounts and profiles. This will make it more difficult for fraudsters to get access to your confidential information.
How can I manage my money more safely online?
If you’ve been affected by a third-party data breach, you can manage your accounts as usual using the Barclays app, Online Banking, and our automated telephone service.
Find out more about managing your accounts from home
I’ve been contacted by someone who wanted to know my personal information – what should I do?
We’ll never call you to ask for this information so you shouldn’t give it to anyone.
1. Stop
Take a moment to stop and think before you give out any personal information or account details.
2. Challenge
Could this be fake? If you think the request is suspicious, you can reject, refuse, or ignore it. Only fraudsters or criminals will try to make you panic or feel rushed.
3. Protect
If you think you’ve been targeted by scammers, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or at actionfraud.police.uk.
If you’re in Scotland, report it to Police Scotland by calling 101.
Go to our fraud and scams page for more