London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

Tesco say website and app down after hack attempt

Tesco say website and app down after hack attempt

Tesco's website and app have crashed after what the retail giant said were attempts "to interfere with our systems".

The possible hack at Britain's biggest supermarket began on Saturday with shoppers unable to order goods and track deliveries.

Tesco initially said there was "an issue", but in a Sunday update said there had been deliberate disruption.

The retailer sought to assure customers their data was safe.

But shoppers have complained about a lack of information, with many wanting to know how to cancel orders and whether they can get money back.

A Tesco spokesperson said: "There is no reason to believe that this issue impacts customer data and we continue to take ongoing action to make sure all data stays safe.

"Since yesterday, we've been experiencing disruption to our online grocery website and app.

"An attempt was made to interfere with our systems which has caused problems with the search function on the site. We're working hard to fully restore all services and apologise for the inconvenience."

Tesco said the attempts to compromise its systems were made overnight from Friday to Saturday, but was not more specific. According to Downdetector, which monitors website outages, shoppers began reporting issues early on Saturday morning.

The scale of the problem, and whether the issue was nationwide or only in certain areas, was unclear on Sunday morning.


Meanwhile, shoppers have been trying to change or cancel deliveries, or switch to other supermarkets.

Tesco customer Chris Hodgson, who lives in Stoke-on-Trent, told the BBC the app had not been working properly for "a couple of days".

He picked up his click-and-collect order on Sunday, but had only managed to do half his weekly shopping before the website went down. "The collection member of staff hadn't been informed of any issues," Mr Hodgson said. "After I showed him the website, he said it was an unusually quiet day.

"I asked if I could reject the whole order and was informed I could only reject substituted items. I'll have to go out again this afternoon. If you're on a budget it's annoying, it's an inconvenience.

"Nothing from Tesco, no way of contacting them. Really poor by Tesco," he said.

Tesco has opened a check-out free store where customers use the app to choose groceries and leave with them

Another customer, Rebecca, from North Wales, got a delivery of 120 Pepsi drinks on Sunday instead of her order.

"We were meant to get a week's shop this morning," she told the BBC. "The website was down all yesterday so we couldn't amend or cancel. All we received was 120 cans of Pepsi Max."

Growing problem


Rebecca, who asked for her surname not to be used, added: "I'd been going in to the order over and over yesterday, right up until the 11.45 deadline. I didn't try calling, there must be thousands in the same boat.

"Fortunately someone suggested that Asda had delivery slots for today so I managed to place an order last night (just before their deadline) for enough food for the next few days."

Tesco initially said on Saturday it was "working hard to get things back up and running", and apologised for the inconvenience.

The firm's online sales have soared recently, especially during lockdown, with the supermarket ramping up capacity.

Its latest financial results say the scale and reach of its online operations are "unmatched in the UK", with total sales topping £6bn. Tesco said it had 6.6 million app users.

Tesco has faced previous hacks. In 2014 about 2,000 customer accounts were deactivated amid fears login details were compromised, and there was also a cyber attack on the supermarket's bank arm.

But the problem is becoming more common globally. Earlier this year, international meat manufacturer JBS had to shut down about 25% of its operation. And large swathes of US fuel supply were closed after a ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline.

Few sectors have escaped the attention of cyber-criminals, with airlines, banks, universities, local authorities, utilities and tech giants such as Microsoft all having faced attacks on their computer systems.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
×