AG Fitch Alerts MS Consumers about New Concerns related 2021 T-Mobile Data Breach

Attorney General Lynn Fitch urges any Mississippi residents who may have been impacted by the data breach announced by T-Mobile in August 2021 to take appropriate steps to protect their information from identity theft.

“The recent discovery of this data on the dark web is a disturbing reminder that a breach can put consumers at risk months after it occurs,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch.  “I encourage all residents who think they may have been impacted to take additional steps to protect their identity from theft. Even if you were not a T-Mobile customer at the time of the breach, taking precautions now is worth your time.”

On August 17, 2021, T-Mobile reported a massive data breach compromising the sensitive personal information, including dates of birth and Social Security and driver’s license numbers, of millions of current, former, and prospective T-Mobile customers. The breach impacted more than 53 million individuals, including nearly 360,000 Mississippians.

Recently, a large subset of the information compromised in the breach was for sale on the dark web—a hidden portion of the Internet where cyber criminals buy, sell, and track personal information. Many individuals 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.

Attorney General Fitch urges anyone who believes they were impacted by the T-Mobile breach to 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 (or call 1-888-766-0008)
• Experian (or call 1-888-397-3742)
• TransUnion (or call 1-888-680-7289)

• 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.

• Call the Attorney General’s Office. If you believe you are a victim of identity theft, contact my office at [email protected], 1-800-281-4418, or 601-359-4230.

“Your identity is your most valuable possession,” said General Fitch. “We are here to help you protect it.”

Attorney General Fitch is participating in a multistate coalition of Attorneys General investigating the breach and whether T-Mobile had appropriate safeguards in place to protect personal information.