T-Mobile Customers Lose Extensive Information to Second Data Breach of 2023
Table of Contents
- By Steven
- Published: May 04, 2023
- Last Updated: May 04, 2023
T-Mobile is a telecommunications brand used throughout the United States, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany. The company provides text messaging services, voice communication, mobile data, and more for millions of customers. T-Mobile has been in business since 1999 and is well-known as a leading communications brand in the United States, and now we're learning the company isn't secure. For the second time in 2023, T-Mobile has suffered from a data breach, and this time identity theft is a possibility for the impacted customers.
How Did the Attack Occur?
T-Mobile wasn't willing to give out the specific service vulnerabilities that led to the latest data breach for its customers, but one or more attackers were able to get into the user accounts of hundreds of customers and access extensive data for these individuals. The data stolen is enough to launch identity theft attacks on the customers and could cause real problems if they don't react fast. The attack occurred between February and March 2023 and was the second data breach impacting T-Mobile this year. It's a real problem that T-Mobile customers should pay attention to because their data is at risk.
What Information Was Viewed or Stolen?
While only approximately 836 individuals were exposed in this data breach, the amount of information released was substantial and worrisome. According to the notices from T-Mobile, affected individuals may have had any of the following details exposed in this data breach. First and last name, Social Security number, account PIN, birth date, T-Mobile internal customer service codes related to the account, phone numbers, account number, contact information, rate plan and features, and more. All these details together provide the information needed to attack the customers in devastating ways.
How Did T-Mobile Admit to the Breach?
T-Mobile sent out individual notification letters to all the customers suspected of being involved in this data breach incident. Each customer received a letter informing them that their data was available for nearly one month. These individual letters were sent out on April 28, 2023. If you received a letter, you are at risk of being hit by identity theft attacks and fraudulent activities.
What Will Become of the Stolen Information?
It's likely the stolen data involved in this breach will be used in phishing attacks, fraudulent purchases, and identity theft attacks. The hackers will attempt to use the information for profit in one way or another. If you were hit by this attack, you should take immediate action to protect your data in any way you can.
What Should Affected Parties Do in the Aftermath of the Breach?
If you receive a notice from T-Mobile, sign up for the complimentary credit monitoring and identity protection service offered by the company for two years of protection. The service is free to the victims of this attack and will help ensure you're protected against follow-up attacks and issues. Credit monitoring services watch any accounts open in your name and give you regular updates regarding account changes so you always know exactly what is happening.
