The Aporia · Online fashion giant Asos probes ‘unauthorised activity’ after hacking phone alerts

On October 6, UK online fashion retailer ASOS announced it was investigating unauthorized activity involving third-party platforms after customers received alerts suggesting a hack. The company stated that personal information such as names and contact details may have been accessed but assured that payment card data and account passwords were not compromised. Asos’s stock initially dropped by nearly 15% in London before partially recovering, ending the day down about 10%.

Written by AI on 2026-10-06, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

On Tuesday morning, ASOS customers received a phone alert claiming the retailer had been hacked. The message included a link to a Telegram chat threatening to leak customer data unless ASOS engaged with the hackers. Snowflake, an online platform used for storing and analyzing large amounts of data, was cited as being compromised by the alleged attackers.

More than 400 customers reported issues on Downdetector, and ASOS's shares fell almost 12% on the London Stock Exchange. The company acknowledged the issue but stated that it did not believe payment card information or account passwords were impacted, though personal data such as names and contact details may have been accessed.

ASOS has 17 million customers in over 150 countries, with the UK being its largest market at 49% of revenues. The company is currently undergoing a major turnaround program to halt declining sales and return to profit. Previous high-profile retail hacks include those on Marks & Spencer and Harrods.

Cyber experts warn that these incidents create ideal conditions for phishing attacks, urging customers to be wary of potential follow-up communications from ASOS or any other suspicious emails or texts.

Written for “Asos Data Breach” on 2026-10-30, grounded in this article and the 15 other(s) covering the same event.

📰 Asos Data Breach

Technology · 16 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

This article reads unscored and hedges 13% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

Asos apologises to customers after ‘unauthorised activity’ Same event

Evening Standard

Hedges 3 of 22 claims Outlet record 65/100

Asos says customer data may have been accessed after ‘unauthorised activity’ Same event

Evening Standard

Hedges 1 of 19 claims Outlet record 65/100

Asos says customer data may have been accessed after ‘unauthorised activity’ Same event

Evening Standard

Hedges 1 of 4 claims Outlet record 65/100

Has ASOS been hacked? Customers concerned after receiving alert Same event

Evening Standard

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Asos customers receive ‘hack’ notification threatening leak Same event

The Guardian

Hedges 3 of 15 claims Outlet record 66/100

Asos customers told online retailer ‘hacked’ in phone alert Same event

Evening Standard

Hedges 3 of 15 claims Outlet record 65/100

ASOS says customer data may have been accessed after users receive worrying 'hack' alert on phones Same event

Evening Standard

Hedges 2 of 19 claims Outlet record 65/100

What can I do to protect myself after 'Asos hacked' message? Same event

BBC News

Hedges 6 of 31 claims Outlet record 69/100

Asos hackers 'in possession of detailed profiles of potentially millions of customers' Same event

Daily Mail

Hedges 3 of 50 claims Outlet record 68/100

Asos app users sent 'hacked' message from online retailer Same event

ABC News (AU)

Hedges 0 of 4 claims Outlet record 68/100

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The investigation is ongoing, and we will provide further updates as soon as more information becomes available.” ‘Panic’ aim This kind of notification, which amounts to “psychological warfare”, is “designed to whip up panic”

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-06

🔮 Asos, which has 17 million active customers worldwide, said personal information like names and contact details “may have been accessed” but that it did not believe payment card information or account passwords were impacted. The company noted its website and app were operating normally following the incident, which prompted its share price to slump initially by almost 15% in London.

2026-10-06 · The Straits Times

Online fashion giant Asos probes ‘unauthorised activity’ after hacking phone alerts · assertive framing

Online fashion giant Asos probes ‘unauthorised activity’ after hacking phone alerts AI generated asserted

Asos → probe → alerts

UK online fashion giant Asos said on Oct 6 it was investigating “unauthorised activity involving third-party platforms” after its customers received a phone alert saying the retailer had been hacked. asserted

retailer → say → alert

Asos, which has 17 million active customers worldwide, said personal information like names and contact details “may have been accessed” but that it did not believe payment card information or account passwords were impacted. The company noted its website and app were operating normally following the incident, which prompted its share price to slump initially by almost 15% in London. uncertain

which → have → London

Shares in the company had partially recovered by mid-afternoon but were still down on Oct 6 by nearly 10%. asserted

Shares → recover → %

“We are investigating unauthorised activity involving third-party platforms that we use to communicate with customers,” Asos said in a statement. asserted

Asos → investigate → statement

“We took immediate action to restrict access to the notification platforms and are working with our internal and external specialist advisers, as well as all relevant authorities.” asserted

We → take → advisers

Customers had received a mobile app notification titled “Asos hacked” and directing them to a Telegram account. asserted

Customers → receive → account

“Dear Asos DPO and IT, we have fully compromised your Snowflake instance. asserted

we → compromise → instance

Engage with us, or we will leak it,” read the notification, according to screenshots shared on social media and reported by British media. uncertain

notification → engage → media

DPO stands for data protection officer, while Snowflake is a US company that provides its clients with a cloud-based platform for data storage, management and analysis. asserted

that → stand → storage

In a statement shared with AFP, a Snowflake spokesperson said the firm began an investigation as soon as it became aware of the reported notification. asserted

it → share → notification

“At this time, we can report that we have found no compromise of the Snowflake platform,” the statement added. asserted

statement → report → platform

“We take customer privacy and security very seriously. asserted

We → take → privacy

which → provide → panic

, said Marie Wilcox, market strategy analyst at cybersecurity firm Binalyze. asserted

Wilcox → say → Binalyze

The attackers reasoned that “any panic piles on the pressure on Asos to think about paying up rather than taking time to develop a rational response,” she said. asserted

she → reason → response

Britain’s state-run National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has offered Asos assistance, according to sources. uncertain

Centre → run → sources

A spokesperson for the country’s data watchdog, the Information Commission Office, said it did not appear “to have received a report on this matter at this stage”. asserted

it → say → stage

Asos told shareholders it has cyber security insurance with a large provider and that it was “too early” to quantify any potential impact on its trading, Britain’s Press Association news agency reported. asserted

agency → tell → trading

Founded in 2000, Asos generated £2.48 billion (S$3.1 billion) in revenue while posting net losses of £298 million in the 12 months to the end of August 2025. asserted

Asos → found → August

Its own brands account for 40% of the value of goods sold on the platform, compared to 60% for partner brands. asserted

brands → account → brands

In 2025, the UK was hit by a wave of cyberattacks targeting, among others, Jaguar Land Rover, Marks & Spencer, the department store Harrods and the Co-op food chain. asserted

UK → hit → Rover

And three British airports belonging to the Manchester Airports Group were targeted by an attack in August that resulted in the theft of personal data belonging to 8.7 million customers. asserted

that → belong → customers

Online fashion giant Asos probes ‘unauthorised activity’ after hacking phone alerts

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