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Console & Associates, P.C.: Forever 21 Data Breach Leaks Over 539k Names, SSNs
F21 OpCo LLC d/b/a Forever 21 (“Forever 21”) has reported that its systems have been compromised by an unauthorized party. According to the company’s report filed on August 29th, 2023, the Forever 21 data breach investigation revealed the theft of information including names and Social Security numbers related to 539,000 individuals. After notifying the Attorney General of Maine, Forever 21 began sending out data breach notification letters to affected individuals.
If you received such a notification, you should store the letter somewhere safe and refer to our Guide for Victims of Data Breaches. Here, we describe the ways you can prevent hackers from using your SSN to damage your credit and take on debt in your name. After this, you should call 866-778-5500 or send us an email to info@consoleandassociates.com to find out a Forever 21 data breach lawsuit is right for you.
To learn more about the Forever 21 data breach, read our blog post here: https://www.myinjuryattorney.com/forever-21-data-breach-investigation/
The Forever 21 Data Breach Timetable
For now, we have a range of details from the Forever 21 filing with the Attorney General of Maine. Namely, an unauthorized party was able to access the company’s network and steal consumer data between January 5th and March 21, 2023. This went undetected for several months, but the company detected a potential cybersecurity vulnerability on August 4th, 2023. This sparked the beginning of the Forever 21 data breach investigation.
During the investigation, the company reviewed the history of its systems as well as the files that had been accessed. It revealed when the breach happened, as well as the type and amount of information that leaked. Ultimately, Forever 21 found that sensitive information related to 539,000 customers had leaked. This includes matching pairs on names and Social Security numbers, which represents a long-term risk of identity theft to all of those affected.
A Social Security number leak is the most serious type of compromised data, but there are ways to handle it. For one, you can put credit freezes on your SSN through the major credit bureaus. This prevents banks, lenders, and other institutions from opening lines of credit using your number. When you want to open a new line of credit, you can unfreeze your SSN and then reissue the freeze request.
However, no one should have to micromanage their credit and live in fear of identity theft due to the negligence of a corporation. You may want to reach out to us and consider seeking compensation through a Forever 21 data breach lawsuit.
About Forever 21
Forever 21 is a California-based fashion retailer that sells men's and women's clothing and accessories. It has a vast network of over 540 locations that includes over 32,000 employees and generates an annual revenue of almost $7 billion. Despite the company’s vast resources, it was unable to detect the theft of over 500,000 people’s information for more than six months. This increases your risk of becoming a victim of identity theft, and may indicate poor data security practices by the company.
If you’re a victim of the Forever 21 data breach, lawyers at the law firm of Console & Associates, P.C. are here to help. Not only will we consider your case and recommend a proper course of action, but our services are free unless we win your case. Call 866-778-5500 or send us an email to info@consoleandassociates.com to schedule a free consultation and take your next step forward.
