More than 100 million Capital One customers affected in massive data breach
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SEATTLE - A former software engineer gained access to more than 100 million Capital One customers' accounts and credit card applications within the last four months, resulting in one of the largest data breaches in history.
Capital One says personal information, including Social Security and bank account numbers, were stolen in the massive data theft between March 12 and July 17.
33-year-old Paige Thompson of Seattle is accused of stealing data from credit card applications. The FBI arrested Thompson Monday. She made her first appearance in U.S. District Court in Seattle and will be detained until a scheduled hearing on Thursday.
Capital One says said "the largest category of information" accessed from applicants who applied for credit cards between 2005 and 2019 had their personal information accessed, including names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, dates of birth, and self-reported income. Nearly 140,000 Social Security numbers were accessed, along with 80,000 bank account numbers from credit card customers.
The bank issued a statement Monday with an apology from Capital One's CEO.
"While I am grateful that the perpetrator has been caught, I am deeply sorry for what has happened," said
To read the full release, click here.
Attorney General Jeff Landry is offering consumer tips to those potentially impacted in Louisiana. He's advising customers to beware of phishing scams, pull your credit reports for suspicious usage, monitor credit cards, consider freezing credit reports, and place a fraud alert on your credit report.
"Taking basic precautions and knowing the appropriate steps to make in the event of a data breach can help prevent Louisiana consumers from falling victim to fraudsters," said General Landry. "My office and I will continue to do all we can to get to the bottom of the breach and to bring justice and some sense of security back to those affected."