Gun Trader data breach made public

The details of over 100,000 customers of the online gun sales platform, Gun Trader, have been published online following the information being obtained by a hacker. These details, which include personal contact details, were initially obtained on 19th July but have now been disclosed on a website that has also recently published personal and sensitive data relating to hunts and their supporters.

If you have registered with Gun Trader in the past, it is quite likely that your details will have been published online however we recommend that you do not search the website or download any of the documents published. Of particular concern is that many of our supporters live in rural areas where the postcodes only relate to a small number of properties, which could make it easy to identify the properties of those individuals listed.

The Alliance, on behalf of its members, has reported this incident to Wiltshire Police, where Gun Trader is based. Gun Trader has also reported the incident to the police and the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).

Over recent months, the Alliance has been working with the hunting authorities and the police over the security issues this website has caused. As part of protecting the interests of our members and supporters, our ultimate goal is to ensure the website is taken down and that those responsible for any offences are charged as appropriate.

In the meantime, we are advising all members who have ever registered with Gun Trader to:

• Ensure that all members of their household are aware of the issue.
• Remain vigilant in their gun and firearm security, making sure any applicable alarms are activated.
• Be alert to people calling at your address and loitering nearby.
• Be alert to any unexpected phone calls. Do not confirm or divulge any information, or be drawn into conversation. Record the time of the call and phone number if available.
• If you receive any threatening or suspicious contact that you suspect is linked to this, please contact your local police force immediately, explaining the situation and quoting the Wiltshire Police Intelligence Report Reference Number: 54210083596