The company wrote to with-profits policy holders informing them they would be receiving a bonus this year. Unfortunately, the company chose to send the good news using postcards, rather than in a sealed envelope.
The postcards were effectively an advance notice of the bonus, and did not contain any specific details about each customer's policy. However, they clearly stated that the recipients of the postcards have "invested in our with-profits fund".
On BBC Radio 4's Money Box programme on Saturday, Prudential's Director of Marketing, Roger Ramsden, apologised to customers for the mailing. He promised that he had taken steps to ensure that a mailing of this sort would not happen again.
It has been reported that the matter has been referred to the Office of the Information Commissioner.