700Credit breach exposes 5.8m Americans to identity theft risk

700Credit says a network breach exposed names, Social Security numbers and financial data of 5.8m+ Americans, prompting regulators and law firms to warn of identity theft risks.
Summary

• 700Credit reported to the Maine Attorney General that 5,836,521 people were affected after unusual network activity revealed unauthorized access to systems with personal data.
• Exposed information includes names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and financial account details commonly used for credit decisions and ID verification.
• Murphy Law Firm and regulators urge victims to monitor credit, use fraud alerts or freezes, and consider legal options as investigations into the breach continue.

A data breach at credit reporting firm 700Credit has potentially 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 network, what is it?

The US-based financial services company disclosed that the incident may have compromised names, Social Security numbers, financial account information and other sensitive data, the filing stated.

The breach was discovered after 700Credit identified unusual activity on its network, prompting a forensic investigation that confirmed unauthorized access to systems containing personal data, according to the notice.

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 is offering to evaluate potential claims on behalf of impacted 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 Maine Attorney General’s alert advised those affected to take proactive steps to protect their information and provided details on accessing support services.

Regulators continue to investigate the breach. It remains unclear whether additional parties beyond the initially reported 5,836,521 individuals may be affected, according to the filing.