700Credit data breach puts millions at risk
A huge data breach at US fintech company 700Credit has exposed the personal info—including Social Security numbers—of about 5.8 million people.
The leak started back in July through a third-party partner's vulnerable API, mostly impacting people who used auto dealerships linked to 700Credit.
The breach went unnoticed until late October, when suspicious activity finally set off alarms and experts were called in.
What you need to know (and do)
Ken Hill, Managing Director at 700Credit, confirmed that about 20% of the consumer data accessible through the affected system was stolen, and yes, sensitive details like SSNs were involved.
700Credit is offering free identity protection and credit monitoring for a year through TransUnion—but you have to sign up within 90 days if your info was compromised.
This whole mess is another reminder of how risky third-party tech connections can be, just like with past breaches at big sites like SoundCloud and Pornhub.