Vans, a renowned footwear brand, has alerted its customers to potential fraud and identity theft risks after a data breach at its parent company, VF Group. The unauthorized activities detected on a segment of VF Group’s IT systems in December 2023 raised concerns about potential misuse of customer data, prompting Vans to issue a warning to its customers. Although detailed financial information or passwords were reportedly not compromised, the company cautioned that criminals might attempt to misuse the obtained customer data.
VF Group, the parent company of Vans, Timberland, The North Face, and Dickies, has been approached to clarify whether customers of these brands are also affected by the breach. Vans disclosed that the data breach was attributed to external threat actors and promptly responded by engaging cybersecurity experts and shutting down affected IT systems, effectively mitigating the threat. While the incident impacted certain customers’ personal information typically stored for online purchases, including email addresses, full names, phone numbers, billing addresses, and shipping addresses, Vans assured customers that no payment or financial data, such as bank account or credit card information, was compromised, thus minimizing the risk of detailed financial exposure.
Despite no reported instances of customer impact thus far, Vans cautioned customers about potential risks of identity theft, phishing, and fraud resulting from the breach. Customers were advised to exercise caution regarding suspicious emails, texts, and telephone calls soliciting personal information, emphasizing the importance of vigilance and awareness in safeguarding personal data.
