Former RAC employee fined for data theft of victims of road traffic incidents

A former employee of breakdown services company RAC has pleaded guilty and been fined for the theft of data of victims of road traffic accidents.

Asif Iqbal Khan, 42, was working for RAC as a Customer Solutions Specialist. Over a single month in 2019, the RAC had received 21 complaints from suspicious drivers who received calls from claims management companies following accidents in which the RAC had assisted.

A review of individuals that had accessed these claims found that Mr Asif Khan was the only employee to access all 21. An internal RAC investigation later reported suspicious behaviour from Mr Khan including taking photos of his computer screen with his phone.

A search warrant, executed by the ICO, seized two phones from Mr Khan and a customer receipt for £12,000. The phones contained photos of data relating to 272 road incidents.

Mr Khan pleaded guilty to two counts of data theft in breach of Section 170 of the Data Protection Act 2018 when he appeared at Dudley Magistrates Court in January 2023. He was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge and court costs.

Stephen Eckersley, ICO Director of Investigations, said:

"Being involved in a road traffic accident can be deeply distressing - to then have this data used and then stolen as a result, adds insult to injury.

We know that receiving nuisance calls can be hugely frustrating and people often wonder how these companies got their details in the first place.

This case shows one such way that it happens, but it also shows how we are working every day to track down and bring those who commit these crimes to justice.”

If you have received a nuisance call, advice and how to report can be found at Nuisance calls and messages | ICO