The convenience of digital payments has ushered in a new era of speed and efficiency, but it has also opened the door to cybercrime. The latest manifestation of this trend is the insidious practice of “quishing,” a term coined to describe the use of fraudulent QR codes to deceive unsuspecting motorists into divulging sensitive financial […]
What is Quishing? The Parking Payment Nightmare Read More »
In a noteworthy development in the ongoing legal battles surrounding Payone GmbH and Worldline SA the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has criticised Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe (UK) LLP (Orrick), the law firm representing Payone and Worldline, for a breach of professional ethics. Here’s a concise list of the matters reported as it relates to PayoneGmbH,
Trustly, a global leader in open banking payments, is further expanding its presence in the UK, strengthening partnerships as the adoption of open banking technology and payment volumes continue to rise. Since its founding in 2008, Trustly has developed a range of payment products and data solutions aimed at making online payments fast, secure, and
Trustly Expands UK Presence Amid Rising Adoption of Open Banking Read More »
eBay, the renowned global e-commerce platform, is on the cusp of a major shift in its payment landscape. Starting next week, on August 17th, American Express credit cards will no longer be accepted as a valid payment method on the platform. This strategic move by eBay underscores the company’s ongoing efforts to streamline its payment
eBay to Discontinue American Express Payments NEXT WEEK! Amid Fee Dispute Read More »
Axel Arigato has opened a new flagship store at 21-23 Earlham Street in Covent Garden’s Seven Dials, as announced by Shaftesbury Capital. This location is directly opposite the well-known sundial pillar, reinforcing Covent Garden’s position as a significant location for flagship stores of international brands. The store covers 2,500 square feet and offers a range
Swedish Brand Axel Arigato Debuts New Store in Covent Garden Read More »
STICPAY, a global leader in e-wallet and payment gateway services, has unveiled an enhancement to its platform by integrating Visa and Mastercard debit and credit card processing. This strategic move aims to empower over 5,000 merchant and corporate clients with greater flexibility and convenience in managing their payment operations. The integration of the STICPAY API,
STICPAY Empowers Merchants with Expanded Payment Options Read More »
Ampere, the innovative neobank dedicated to providing comprehensive financial services for SMEs, has announced a strategic partnership with Mastercard aimed at enhancing its service offerings and streamlining financial solutions. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in Ampere’s mission to simplify financial processes for small and medium-sized enterprises. With this new partnership, Ampere is revolutionizing
Ampere Neobank Partners with Mastercard to Enhance Financial Solutions for SMEs Read More »
Worldline, the European payment services powerhouse, recently unveiled its H1 2024 results, revealing a complex tapestry of financial gains and strategic challenges. While the company reported a 2.1% organic growth in revenue, reaching €2,289 million, the underlying narrative is one of adaptation and resilience in the face of economic headwinds. Merchant Services, a key driver
Cartona, an Egypt-based business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce platform, has raised $8.1 million in a Series A extension financing round. The funding was led by Algebra Ventures, with participation from existing investors including Silicon Badia and the SANAD Fund for micro, small, and medium enterprises. Camel Ventures and GlobalCorp also contributed $2.5 million in debt and $5.6
Cartona Secures $8.1 Million in Series A Extension Funding Read More »
In a recent move, JPMorgan Chase has announced that it will prohibit customers from using its credit cards to pay for ‘buy now, pay later’ (BNPL) services starting October 10. This decision will affect transactions with companies like Klarna, Affirm, and AfterPay. The bank has been notifying customers to update their payment methods to avoid
The Ripple Effect! Will Chase’s BNPL Decision Spark Industry-Wide Change? Read More »
We use cookies to improve user experience and analyse website traffic. By clicking ‘Accept’, you agree to our website’s cookie use as described in our Privacy Policy.
Post-Brexit: data protection
Card processor sends sensitive data to wrong address
24 August 2022
Worldline SA subsidiary Payone GmbH has been accused of breaching data protection rules after it sent sensitive employee payroll information to the wrong address by accident. The Worldline Group holdS a 60% stake in the Frankfurt based company who have a small UK market presence.
In June 2021, one of Payone GmbH’s ex UK employees (the data subject) received a “potential data breach notification” from the firm advising him that his salary, National Insurance data, nationality (Special Category Data) was amongst various bits of information sent to an incorrect home address.
This included personal information such as the former employees name, age and address. It also included details such as the date of birth and the amount of annual work bonus he received in his bank account amongst other identifiable data.
Payone GmbH confirmed that this document was sent out in error following an employee making a mistake when re-entering data processed by their third-party payroll provider. The error arose when the employee was fulfilling an Article 15 GDPR request. The error was spotted by the data subject when he noticed in an email version of the document that the postal address was incorrect. An attempt to notify Payone GmbH of the error went in vain as the document was already irretrievably despatched.
The data subject was alarmed with the incident which exposed him to the possibility of fraudulent activity, amidst reasonable fears his data could end up on the dark web and used by criminals. Habitually resident in the UK he complained to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in June 2021. He similarly raised the concern in Germany via The Hessian Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (HBDI).
The ICO reprimanded Payone GmbH for the error in their final decision letter.
Similarly, the HBDI cited a violation of Article 5(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) relating to integrity and confidentiality.
The ICO stated in their July 2021 findings that Payone GmbH, “should take steps to ensure that all personal data records are accurate and up to date. Holding inaccurate information, such as addresses, does increase the risk of personal data breaches and poses risks to the security of information”.
The HBDI confirmed in their October 2021 findings that Payone GmbH had taken remedial action. They concluded that a monetary fine would not be imposed on Payone GmbH as they had taken technical and organisational steps in response to the data breach. Data subjects could now request their data in an autonomous portal.
The GDPR, which came into effect in 2018, gave the Information Commissioner’s Office greater powers to tackle data breaches. The new ‘UK GDPR’ charts its own course after Brexit whilst seeking to maintain EU GDPR adequacy. In extreme scenarios, organisations face penalties of up to £20m or 4 per cent of their global worldwide turnover, whichever is more.
In the years prior to GDPR, the ICO fines were capped at £500,000.
The data subject said: “I am just glad I spotted it; they were going to resend the document again to another wrong address. Prior to Brexit the process would have been commenced via the ICO who in turn would liaise with the HBDI on the data subjects’ behalf; but I found myself communicating with both authorities separately which was an additional step but in the end was surprisingly
effective. Unfortunately, Payone GmbH again sent my incorrect address to the
Workers Pension Trust in January 2022, and documents yet again went to the wrong address. In my opinion they have not learned from the first time and my complaint is sitting with the ICO yet again”.
The former employee is pursuing a remedy under Article 82 UK GDPR via
the Court’s of England & Wales.
Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
