Gambling with Lives Confirms Supporter Data Exposed in Beacon Cyberattack

Gambling with Lives Confirms Supporter Data Exposed in Beacon Cyberattack

UK gambling harm charity Gambling with Lives has confirmed that supporter information was exposed following a cyberattack on Beacon, the customer relationship management platform it uses.

The attack targeted Beacon's systems rather than Gambling with Lives' own infrastructure. The charity said it was notified by the provider after the incident and is now working to determine exactly which individuals were affected.

Supporter Data Exposed

According to Gambling with Lives, the compromised information may include names, email addresses, postal addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, donation histories and records of interactions with the charity.

The organization said payment card details, bank account information and passwords were not stored within the affected Beacon platform and were therefore not exposed.

Although there is no evidence the data has been misused, supporters have been advised to remain alert for phishing emails, scam phone calls and other impersonation attempts.

Investigation Ongoing

Gambling with Lives has begun contacting affected individuals while Beacon continues a forensic investigation with external cybersecurity specialists. The incident has also been reported to the relevant authorities.

The breach is particularly sensitive given the charity's work supporting families affected by gambling-related harm, including those bereaved by gambling-related suicide.

The incident also highlights the risks of third-party software providers, where a single cyberattack can expose data belonging to multiple organizations using the same platform.