Tens of millions of AT&T customers have had their personal data leaked online after a data breach.
The telecommunications giant said on March 30 that personal details—including Social Security numbers, email addresses, phone numbers and birth dates—from a dataset were found on the "dark web." About 7.6 million current account holders and 65.4 million former account holders were affected, the company said in a statement. Newsweek has contacted AT&T for an update via email outside normal working hours.
"It is not yet known whether the data in those fields originated from AT&T or one of its vendors," the company said. It added that the compromised data is 2019 or earlier, and that the breach is believed to have happened in March.
As a result, AT&T, the largest telecommunications company in the U.S., has reset millions of customer account passwords. The company also said it would contact affected customers.
"AT&T has launched a robust investigation supported by internal and external cybersecurity experts," the company said, adding, "Currently, AT&T does not have evidence of unauthorized access to its systems resulting in exfiltration of the data set."
Social Security theft is a serious issue. Criminals can use stolen Social Security numbers to take out expensive loans and fill out false tax returns in order to get refunds.
Identity theft is not usually apparent until the damage has been done. Victims often notice the theft only when the results catch up with them—signs include being billed for items they did not purchase, debt collections for accounts they did not open, unusual changes to their credit-card report and denials of loan applications.
Anyone asked to provide their Social Security number should ask why their number is needed, how it will be used, and what will happen if they refuse, the Social Security Administration advised.
If you believe your identity has been stolen by way of your Social Security number, the SSA advises reporting the incident to the Federal Trade Commission. The U.S. government also advises contacting the fraud department at your credit-card issuers, bank, and any other places where you have accounts, and filing a police report with any proof of the theft you have collected.
It is also worth reporting identity theft to one of the three major credit-reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. You can then ask them to place fraud alerts and a credit freeze on your accounts.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Aliss Higham is a Newsweek reporter based in Glasgow, Scotland. Her focus is reporting on issues across the U.S., including ... Read more
