Harvey Nichols, the luxury British department store chain frequented by the “AbFab” brigade and lovers of high-end fashion, beauty, food, and home products, has warned its well-heeled clientele to be on red alert following a cyberattack.
The company has confirmed the data breach in an email to affected customers, which says that people’s names, postal addresses, phone numbers, company names, and email addresses have been compromised.
While payment information and login credentials have not been exposed the lost data could still be used in phishing attacks.
The retailer has remained tight-lipped about when the attack occurred, how long it last and how many its customers have been affected.
There has been no official word posted on its own website or social media platforms.
In a statement, Harvey Nichols said: “The issue that allowed the attack to succeed has now been closed so our system is once again fully secure, and we have engaged experts to ensure it remains so.
“Please remain vigilant if you receive any suspicious emails or calls claiming to be from Harvey Nichols.”
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office and the Irish Data Protection Commission have both been notified.
Some 18 months ago, the retailer initiated a major overhaul of its loyalty scheme to offer instant rewards, with a range of personalised benefits and an increased cash back offer for members.
The retailer has eight stores in the UK and Ireland, including its flagship in London’s Knightsbridge, and six overseas. In a bizarre move, the former scheme, which was called Rewards by Harvey Nichols, ceased operation and was succeeded by the new programme, called Harvey Nichols Rewards. It is not known whether these members have been affected.
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