The Unpleasant Surprise: A Data Breach
On September 27, 2024, financial service giant MoneyGram confirmed a cybersecurity breach. The company discovered that an unauthorized third party had accessed and obtained personal information of some consumers. The intrusion occurred between September 20 and 22, 2024, according to the company’s statement.
Scope of the Breach: What Information Was Compromised?
The stolen data includes a range of personal and sensitive information. This comprises “limited” social security numbers, government identification documents, and routine contact details like email, addresses, phone numbers, date of birth, and bank account numbers. Other compromised data includes utility bills, MoneyGram Plus Rewards, transaction information, and criminal investigation information (such as fraud). However, the company assured that only “a limited number of consumers” were affected by the breach.
Damage Control: MoneyGram’s Response
In the wake of the data breach, MoneyGram has engaged external cybersecurity experts to conduct a thorough investigation. The company is also collaborating with law enforcement agencies on this matter. As a precautionary measure, certain services were temporarily suspended when the breach was discovered, but they are now up and running as usual.
Protecting the Consumers: MoneyGram’s Assurance
MoneyGram’s Notice of Data Breach is urging its customers to monitor their free credit reports and review account statements regularly. To further protect its U.S. consumers, the company is offering identity protection and credit monitoring services for two years, free of charge. “We regret any inconvenience this issue may have caused,” the company stated, expressing its concern over the incident.