Georgia T-mobile customers urged to protect personal info after massive data breach on internet

 1.8M Georgia customers’ impacted, 53M nationwide 

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr is urging T-Mobile customers in Georgia to protect their personal information after compromised customer data was found on the dark web following T-Mobile’s data breach announced in August 2021. This breach may affect current, former and prospective customers. Prospective customers include those who began the process to enroll with T-Mobile but ultimately did not obtain service.

“Given the broad scope of T-Mobile’s data breach and news that this compromised data has been found on the dark web, it is imperative that current, former and prospective customers take the necessary steps to prevent identity theft or worse,” said Carr. “Our first priority is to protect our state’s consumers, and we stand ready to assist Georgia customers to ensure their personal information is not stolen. Georgians affected by this breach should monitor their accounts, including their credit, and take all other necessary measures to keep their data safe from fraudsters and thieves.”

On Aug. 17, 2021, T-Mobile reported a massive data breach that compromised the sensitive and personal information of millions of current, former and prospective T-Mobile customers. The breach impacted more than 53 million individuals, including 1,853,378 Georgia residents. Among the categories of information impacted, millions of customers had their names, dates of birth, Social Security Numbers and driver’s license information compromised.

Recently, a large subset of the data compromised in the breach was listed for sale on the dark web – a hidden portion of the Internet where cyber criminals buy, sell and track personal information. Many customers have since received alerts through various identity theft protection services informing them that their information was found online in connection with the breach, confirming that impacted individuals are at heightened risk for identity theft.

Georgians who believe they were impacted by the T-Mobile data breach should take the following steps to protect themselves:

• Monitor your credit. Credit monitoring services track your credit report and alert you whenever a change is made, such as a new account or a large purchase. Most services will notify you within 24 hours of any change to your credit report.
• Consider placing a free credit freeze on your credit report. Identity thieves will not be able to open a new credit account in your name while the freeze is in place. You can place a credit freeze by contacting each of the three major credit bureaus:
  • Equifax: visit https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze or call+1 (888) 766-0008

• • Experian: visit https://www.experian.com/freeze/center.html or call +1 (888) 397-3742

• • TransUnion: visit https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze or call +1 (800) 680-7289
• Place a fraud alert on your credit report. A fraud alert tells lenders and creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity before issuing credit. You can place a fraud alert by contacting any one of the three major credit bureaus.
• Additional Resources. If you believe you are a victim of identity theft, go to identitytheft.gov for assistance, including information on how to file a report. Georgians are also encouraged to contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division by visiting consumer.ga.gov or by calling (404) 651-8600.