Landmark Group’s UAE Shukran members alerted after unauthorised access to customer information
Names, contact details, birth dates were accessed, but passwords remain safe, says Group
Dubai: Landmark Group has alerted some members of its Shukran loyalty programme after identifying unauthorised access to customer information, including names, contact details and dates of birth.
The retail group sent messages to affected customers late Tuesday to members’ WhatsApp accounts, informing them of the incident and advising them to remain vigilant against suspicious calls, emails and messages.
“We have identified an incident involving unauthorised access to some of your personal information including your name, contact details, DOB,” the message sent to Shukran members said.
The notification also sought to reassure customers that their debit and credit card details and passwords were not affected.
In a response to Gulf News, Landmark Group confirmed the incident, saying it had acted immediately to contain the unauthorised access and launched an investigation.
“We recently identified an incident involving unauthorised access to some of our systems. We acted immediately to contain it and launched an investigation. The relevant regulatory and law enforcement authorities have been informed,” the company said in a statement.
The group confirmed that the information involved included “names, contact details and dates of birth for some customers”.
It added that payment card details and passwords had not been affected.
“As we do not store debit / credit card details on our systems and passwords are securely protected and are not stored in readable form, these have not been affected,” Landmark said.
Shukran is Landmark Group's flagship loyalty programme, connecting millions of members across the GCC, Asia and Africa. The company has not disclosed how many customers were affected, when the unauthorised access occurred, how the systems were accessed or whether any information was copied or misused.
Shukran points, wallets unaffected
The company also clarified that customers' loyalty programme benefits remain intact.
“Shukran points, balances and wallets are not affected either,” it said, adding that affected customers had been contacted directly.
The Shukran website's frequently asked questions section also states that its app and loyalty services continue to operate as normal.
The company said it had immediately taken steps to contain the incident and secure the affected system, while its investigation remained ongoing. It also confirmed that the relevant statutory and law enforcement authorities had been informed.
Customers warned against suspicious messages
Shukran has advised members to be cautious about unexpected or unverified calls, emails, SMS messages and WhatsApp communications referring to Landmark Group, Shukran or its retail brands.
Its retail brands include Centrepoint, Max Fashion, Home Centre, Babyshop, Splash, Lifestyle, Shoemart and Emax, alongside hospitality and leisure businesses.
The company has specifically warned customers against sharing passwords, one-time passwords (OTPs), banking information or identity documents with anyone contacting them through these channels.
It also cautioned members against messages creating a sense of urgency, containing unexpected links or attachments, or offering unsolicited refunds, prizes or bonus points.
Shukran says it will only ask customers for OTPs over the counter in its stores or through the Shukran app.
