Catch of the Day warns users their credit cards may have been compromised back in 2011

AUSTRALIA’S biggest daily deals website waited more than three years to warn customers their credit cards may have been compromised.

Three years on ... Catch of the Day warned customers their credit cards may have been compromised in 2011 in an email to users late on Friday.

AUSTRALIA’S biggest daily deals website Catch of the Day waited more than three years to warn customers their credit cards may have been compromised, only coming clean late on Friday in an email.

The company, operating since October 2006 and named “Australia’s number one shopping site” according to Hitwise, had its security compromised in April and May 2011.

In an “important notice” to customers on Friday evening, the company publicly admitted to the breach, and that financial information had been accessed and may be misused.

“Only a relatively small portion of users had credit card information compromised,” the email read.

The company said it reported the incident to “relevant banks and card companies” but it failed to advise users.

Founder Gabby Leibovich did not answer questions late on Friday, with Catch of the Day group general executive manager Jason Rudy instead issuing a statement apologising for the breach but not explaining the delay.

“We unreservedly apologise to our customers for this incident,” the statement read.

Mr Rudy advised Catch customers who joined the website before May 7, 2011 to change their password to avoid financial fraud.