700Credit says a network breach exposed the names, Social Security numbers and financial information of more than 5.8 million Americans, prompting regulators and law firms to warn about the risk of identity theft.
Summary
- 700Credit reported to the Maine Attorney General that 5,836,521 people were affected after unusual network activity revealed unauthorized access to systems containing personal data.
- Exposed information includes names, addresses, dates of birth, social security numbers and financial account information that are often used for credit decisions and identity verification.
- Murphy Law Firm and regulators are urging victims to monitor credits, use fraud alerts or freezes and consider legal options as the investigation into the breach continues.
A data breach at credit reporting agency 700Credit may have exposed personal information of more than 5.8 million Americans, according to a notice filed with the Maine attorney general’s office.
700Credit identifies unusual activity on the network, what is that?
The U.S.-based financial services company disclosed that the incident may have compromised names, Social Security numbers, financial account information and other sensitive data, the filing said.
The breach was discovered after 700Credit noticed unusual activity on its network, prompting a forensic investigation that confirmed unauthorized access to systems containing personal data, the notice said.
The exposed information could include details commonly used in identity verification and credit decisions, the company reported. The disclosure has raised concerns about potential identity theft and fraud risks for affected individuals.
Murphy Law Firm, which offers to review potential claims on behalf of affected consumers, stated that affected individuals should monitor their credit reports for unusual activity and consider placing fraud alerts or credit freezes through major credit bureaus.
The alert from Maine’s attorney general advised those affected to take proactive steps to protect their information and provided details on how to access support services.
Regulators continue to investigate the breach. According to the filing, it remains unclear whether additional parties could be affected beyond the initially reported 5,836,521 individuals.
