Anyone else had a letter of 'apology' from the child benefit people?

[Hekate]

I got one this morning.

A 'personal' apology. That begins "I am writing to make a personal apology".

Not Dear Hekate, or Dear Mrs Hekate's DH.

Not terribly personal.

It goes on to confirm that my details were on the disk.

My name, my kids names and dates of birth, my address, my NI number, my bank account address, sort code and account number.

It ends with "I would like to offer my personal apologies for any worry this data loss may have caused you" (nah mate, why on earth would it worry me )

And ends with a typed 'Dave Hartnett@

No signature (a photocopied one even, I don't expect anyone to sign several million letters!) no yours sincerely/faithfully/regards.

Just 'Dave'

Dunno what I'm expecting really, just seems like it could have done with a bit of grovelling really. it comes across like, oh well, shit happens but since you're all making a fuss (y'bastards) best to come up with something to shut you up.

Ill judged I think.

Not really a proper 'sorry' is it?

I had one too, the other day.
Thought it was a bit late seeing as everyone knows by now anyway.
So it is not everyone's data then?
Just a choice few, of which I HAD to be one, that's how my life is.

I ahven't had one, getting paranoid that someone has changed my details with them

I haven't had one but I would rather they didn't waste money on such things. Bit of a waste of time really if it doesn't make anybody feel any better.

DH said that apparently the letter has cost them £3 million to send out. We got ours this morning.

Yep also got same letter this morning. Don't know why they bothered tbh, the money its cost to send them out. I doubt anyone is going to read it and say oh thats ok then as long as you've said sorry

Agree with Niecie. I got one on Friday, I think it was a complete waste of money.

I would like to know if I can send them the bills for all the credit monitoring I'll have to do for the next 10 years or so, caused by their 'mistake'. That would be a better use for the money instead of sending the letters.
"Sorry 'bout that, mate" does not help much...

is there any other way of finding out if your details were on the disks or is it a case of wait and see if you get a letter, and if you don't then they weren't?!

If you were in receipt of CB on 30th September, then yes, your details were on the disks.

I got one too - I would be really worried if we used the childrens dates of birth or names for password, but we dont.

I am still concerned though

it's pants isn't it, really. dh was very sarcastic to our letter, all evening, lol.

yup. bit of a waste of paper really. Far more interested in what fib they will tell to con us into thinking they hae found the CD's!!

Well I haven't had one......should I be concerned?

It is ridiculous though isn't it? Now, their switchboard will be jammed up with people ringing to either complain at the misappropriation of public funds or at the fact that they haven't had a letter.......

Has anyone done a tot up of what this is likely to cost us tax payers then??

we got one on saturday, wished they had not spent the money on this we already know what happened, well sort of anyway

Yes.

Being a bit of a soft touch, an apology instantly made me want to say 'don't worry about it. These things happen' etc.

Yes I got one too

I'm sure I'm in the minority here, but surely if you pay someone by cheque you provide your bank account number, sort code, bank address and if you are asked to put your name and address on the back of the cheque, as is often asked, then they have that too. Depending on what you are buying you might provide information like children's, or your own, names and dates of birth. Does anyone else pay for Cool Milk at school by cheque. They would know all your details, including names and dates of birth of your children, as well as their school and class. So, the additional information on this disc is my National Insurance Number. Can that be used for anything? How easy would it be to use this information to steal my identity? A genuine question.

It's about as useful as the letter they send out every year saying cb has gone up by 50p a week!!! Doesn;t tell anyone anything they don't already know via the news or the helpline!!!

Me too Waste of paper though.

If you use your partner or childrens details as passwords that could be used to hack accounts such as credit cards etc, change your address so you can't see that someone's ordering things. Most common security checks run by companies are your post code and date of birth so any company solely relying on that should now add something else to it. On the cheque thing - the only details you should ever have to put on the back of a cheque is your cheque guarantee card, anything else is additionally required by the company and I always give seperately otherwise you are leaving yourself somewhat exposed.

It's the fact all the information is in the same place and that there is a higher chance of being able to suss out security passwords and the like from the data.

The biggest worry is that the information will be split up and sold to the highest bidder.....

Countto10, I agree, but to use the example of Cool Milk all these details would be posted to them in on envelope even if you chose to write nothing on the back of the cheque.

And yes, if anyone uses dates of births or names for passowrds then they could be easily used to access accounts.

Actually what also worries me, is that it also has your child benefit number on it, so what checks do they have if someone writes or phones them pretending to be me a nd asking for it to be paid into another account?

Yes madhouse that made me larf, sending out the apology letter with chb number and my national insurance number on it, when lots of people know these letters are going out.