Fidelity Investments on Wednesday reported that it had experienced a data breach impacting 77,000 life insurance clients in August.
According to a notice sent to the Office of the Maine Attorney general, between August 17 and August 19, a third party accessed and obtained unauthorized information using two newly established customer accounts. In a notice sent to clients, Fidelity explained that the information obtained by the third party “related to a small subset” of customers and did not involve access to Fidelity accounts.
Fidelity said it has not been made aware of any misuse of clients’ personal information since the incident.
The firm has since offered clients the option to enroll in a credit monitoring and identity restoration service for 24 months at no cost, provided by TransUnion Interactive, a subsidiary of TransUnion.
In addition to enrolling in the credit monitoring and identity restoration services, Fidelity urged clients to “remain vigilant for fraudulent activity or identity theft” by regularly reviewing statements, monitoring credit reports, and reporting suspicious activity.
“We are notifying individuals as appropriate and providing them credit monitoring resources,” said a Fidelity spokesperson when reached for comment. “We recognize our customers may have questions about this event and we have resources in place to assist them. Fidelity takes its responsibility to serve customers and safeguard information seriously.”
Fidelity currently has over 51 million clients with $14.1 trillion in assets as of June 2024.
SEE ALSO:
EBSA Updates Cybersecurity Guidance for Plan Sponsors and Fiduciaries
Amanda Umpierrez is the Managing Editor of 401(k) Specialist magazine. She is a financial services reporter with over six years of experience and a passion for telling stories and reporting news. Amanda received her degree in journalism and government and politics at St. John’s University. She is originally from Queens, New York, but now resides in Denver, Colorado with her partner. In her free time, Amanda enjoys running, cooking, and watching the latest drama show.