RAC workers receive suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay £118,000 for stealing personal data

Two people have been ordered to pay more than £100,000 after unlawfully copying and selling personal information when they were employed at the RAC.

Debbie Okparavero and Maliha Islam have been ordered to pay £85,727.32 and £33,125 respectively, plus costs, at a recent Proceeds of Crime Act hearing.

The confiscation orders have been handed down to the Manchester-based workers for their crime while they were employed at the RAC.

They were accused of unlawfully copying and selling almost 30,000 lines of personal information while working as customer service specialists at the RAC's call centre in Stretford.

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Both defendants had previously pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to commit offences under S1 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 and the Data Protection Act 2018.

The Information Commissioner's Office said the POCA hearing was proof that it would use the full range of enforcement powers to bring criminals to account.

It added that these powers allow them to recoup money gained from illegal activity, with amounts being calculated by the court.

The employees were handed a suspended prison sentence and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work in 2024.

They were caught by new security monitoring software installed by the RAC, which saw Okparavero unlawfully access and copy personal information relating to people involved in road traffic accidents.

A search of Okparavero's mobile phone showed that information was shared in a WhatsApp chat with Islam, in addition to messages indicating that a third party was paying for the information.

A hearing at the end of May, Okparavero, from Salford, was ordered to pay £85,727.32, plus costs of £3,550 at Manchester Crown Court.

If payment of the confiscation order is not made within three months, Okparavero will be required to serve 18 months in prison and still be liable to pay the full amount.

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At a previous hearing in November 2025, Islam was ordered to pay £33,125 within three months plus costs of £2,797.50.

While Islam has paid the confiscation order in full, they would have faced a 10-month prison sentence if they hadn't paid the amount.

Andy Curry, head of investigations at the ICO, said the outcome was proof that "justice did not end at sentencing".

He added: "Our powers enabled us to continue to pursue these two individuals in order to strip them of assets gained through their serious criminal activity.

"Through the Proceeds of Crime Act, we are ensuring people do not financially benefit from their criminal activity."

Mr Curry thanked the RAC for informing the ICO about the breach, adding that the organisation's full support helped hold Okparavero and Islam to account.

Speaking at the time of the original sentence, the head of ICO investigations said: "Accessing people's personal information when there isn't a business need to do so is against the law.

"To then take steps to profit from other people’s misfortune by selling that information is appalling. We will always take action to protect the public from this type of unlawful behaviour."

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