Privacy News Lidl customers across Europe hit in suspected data breach - here's what we know

Brownie2019

Brownie2019

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Customers in three countries have had some of their data stolen
Lidl confirms cyberattack at third-party IT service provider that exposed customer data including names, phone numbers, emails, dates of birth, and customer numbers
Passwords, payment details, and addresses were not affected, but the company warns of phishing risks and urges vigilance against identity fraud attempts
Incident was contained quickly, reported to authorities, and investigated by forensic experts; Lidl operates ~12,900 stores across 32 countries
Lidl is warning its customers of a cyberattack which may have affected some of their personal information stored with the company.

In a data breach notification published on its Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany websites, the German discount supermarket chain said an IT security incident at one of its IT service providers affected some of the data stored by Lidl Online Shop customers.

“We were informed of this incident at the beginning of the week,” a machine-translated notification reads. “Despite high IT security standards, unknown persons briefly gained access to a separately stored file with customer data and part of the data was stolen from it. The system of the online shop itself is not affected.”
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Important points for affected customers

Based on the information quoted, the incident involved a third-party IT service provider and a separately stored file, rather than the Lidl online shop itself. The potentially exposed information includes:

  • Names
  • Phone numbers
  • Email addresses
  • Dates of birth
  • Customer numbers

Lidl states that passwords, payment information, and addresses were not affected. This reduces some risks, but the exposed details could still support convincing phishing, impersonation, or identity-fraud attempts.

Customers in the affected countries should:

  • Treat unexpected Lidl-related emails, text messages, and phone calls with caution.
  • Avoid clicking links or opening attachments in unsolicited messages.
  • Access Lidl only by manually entering the official website address or using a known application.
  • Never provide passwords, payment details, verification codes, or identity documents in response to an unsolicited request.
  • Use unique passwords and enable multi-factor authentication where available.
  • Monitor email, telephone, shopping, and financial accounts for suspicious activity.
  • Follow any official notification from Lidl and contact the company through independently verified contact details.

A data breach notification does not by itself prove that every customer was affected. Anyone receiving a suspicious message should preserve the message and report it to the relevant service provider or local authorities. If an account, payment method, or identity document appears to have been misused, contact the affected provider immediately.

The main practical concern here is targeted phishing using legitimate-looking personal details, so increased vigilance is appropriate even where passwords and payment data were reportedly not exposed.
 

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