AT&T customers are once more facing serious security concerns following reports of a fresh leak involving their personal information. This comes after the telecom company experienced multiple data breaches last year.
Previous Data Breaches Raised Alarms
In 2024, AT&T reported two major security incidents. The first breach, which took place in March, affected over 70 million people. Sensitive details like social security numbers, home addresses, phone numbers, and birth dates were stolen and later found for sale on the dark web.
Just a month later, another breach occurred. Hackers reportedly gained access to AT&T’s Snowflake cloud platform, which allowed them to collect call and text records from a large number of AT&T users. Some sources later claimed that AT&T paid the hackers a ransom of approximately $370,000 to prevent the data from being exposed, but this detail remains unconfirmed.
These incidents increased the risk of identity theft, scams, and phishing attempts targeting AT&T customers. The company later provided those affected with a free one-year subscription to identity protection services.
New Customer Data Surfaces Online
Recently, another batch of customer data—belonging to around 86 million people—has appeared on the dark web. The leaked information includes names, birth dates, phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses, and social security numbers, raising fresh concerns about fraud and misuse.
AT&T responded by saying that the data seems to be from the earlier breach in March 2024 and is likely being recirculated by cybercriminals looking to make money. According to the company, their teams are fully investigating this recent exposure and law enforcement has been notified.
Why Customers Should Stay Alert
Data breaches have been rising sharply in the United States. A report by the Identity Theft Resource Center shows that over 1 billion people were affected by data leaks in just the first half of 2024—a massive increase compared to the previous year.
Even if this recent leak involves old data, the danger is still real. Hackers can combine stolen information to create fake identities, apply for loans, open accounts, or carry out other fraudulent activities.
Steps to Protect Yourself
AT&T customers and anyone affected by data breaches should take these precautions:
1. Change passwords and PINs immediately, especially for bank accounts and financial services.
2. Avoid reusing old passwords and set strong, unique ones for each account.
3. Enable two-factor authentication for extra security where possible.
4. Monitor bank and credit accounts closely for any unusual or suspicious activity.
5. Place a fraud alert on your credit file to warn lenders of potential identity theft. This is free and stays active for one year, with options to renew.
6. Consider freezing your credit report to prevent new accounts from being opened in your name.
It’s essential for all consumers to remain careful and take quick action to protect their personal information in today’s rising cyber threat landscape.