The Co-op recently suffered the biggest data breach ever reported by a UK retailer. If you’re a Co-op member, you need to take action right now. Hackers stole the names, addresses, and contact information of all 6.5 million members, and while no financial data was taken, this information is enough to create convincing scams.
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The company confirmed in mid-July that all its customers were affected. The hackers, who also targeted Harrods and M&S, could use this stolen information to send you emails and phone messages asking you to ‘Reset your password’ or ‘Verify your account’. This is why you must be extra vigilant and change your passwords immediately.
How to Change Your Password Quickly
First, go to the Co-op website and click ‘Sign in’. You can then either sign in with your email and current password or, if you’ve forgotten it, use the ‘Forgotten your password’ option. It’s crucial that you use a unique password for your Co-op account, and if you’ve used that password for any other service, you need to change those passwords immediately too.
It’s shocking that the Co-op took nearly three months to reveal the full extent of this breach. This is a reminder that we all need to be proactive about our own security. Don’t wait for a company to tell you what to do. Always use a strong, unique password for every account and enable two-factor authentication whenever possible.
What About a Lawsuit?
Lawyers are also considering a class-action lawsuit against the Co-op. If you want to find out if you might be eligible, you can visit the provided link. However, you should also be very careful to beware of scams that promise compensation for the theft. This breach was so massive that criminals can exploit it in countless ways, so stay on your guard.
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Bibliography:
“Co-op Hackers Steal Your Data.” Computeractive, Computeractive – Issue 715, 30 July-12 August 2025
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