Not upheld: Account administration errors complaint against Lantern Debt Recovery Services Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr G complained to the Financial Ombudsman Service that Lantern Debt Recovery Services Limited had not done enough to remedy a data breach in which his personal data was accessed during an IT security incident in April 2025. Lantern had offered a complimentary twelve-month credit monitoring and fraud protection service, but Mr G sought additional compensation for the worry and distress caused. The ombudsman found that Lantern had responded appropriately to the incident, which was a business-targeted ransomware attack with no evidence of actual data misuse, and that the comprehensive monitoring service provided was a fair and adequate remedy that went as close as possible to restoring Mr G to his pre-incident position. The complaint was not upheld, and no additional remedy was ordered.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman assessed whether Lantern had done all they could to put Mr G back in the position he would have been in but for the incident. The ombudsman found that Lantern's response was appropriate given that the incident was contained quickly, was a business-targeted ransomware attack rather than data-targeting, and there was no evidence of actual misuse. The comprehensive monitoring service provided goes as close as possible to protecting Mr G from future harm. The ombudsman rejected the request for monetary compensation, finding that the protective remedy was more appropriate than financial compensation and adequately addressed the concern.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website