AT&T data breach: 3 things to know

Data from nearly every customer of AT&T has been breached, the telecommunications giant announced on Friday, July 12.

Various media are reporting that the breach hit customers of the company’s cellular service, mobile virtual network operators, and landline customers who interacted with cellular numbers.

The Associated Press reports that AT&T has more than 100 million customers in the United States and almost 2.5 million business accounts.

Here’s what you should know:

1. When did the hack occur?

Between May 1 and Oct. 31, 2022, according to an AT&T website. The compromised data also includes records from Jan. 2, 2023, for a smaller number of customers.

2. What info was stolen?

According to AT&T, the data does not contain the content of calls or texts; personal information such as Social Security numbers; dates of birth; or other personally identifiable information. It also does not include some typical information customers are likely to see in their usage details, such as the time stamp of calls or texts.

“While the data does not include customer names, there are often ways, using publicly available online tools, to find the name associated with a specific telephone number,” AT&T warned in a written statement.

3. What should I do if my data has been hacked?

According to AT&T, if people’s accounts are in danger, the company will contact them via text, email or the U.S. Postal Service.

People also can check their AT&T accounts here .

People can obtain a copy of their credit report. Go to annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228 to get a free copy of their credit report. People can get one free copy of their report from each of the three credit bureaus once per year.

Or, customers also can visit att.com/DataIncident for more information.