T-Mobile Data Breach Impacts More Than 287,000 Massachusetts Customers

More than 287,000 Massachusetts residents may have had their data compromised, including social security numbers in a breach of T-Mobile customers.

Experian North America announced Friday that a company server containing data for T-Mobile USA was breached, releasing personal information of about 15 million of the cell phone company’s U.S. customer applicants.

The data lost included names, dates of birth, addresses, Social Security numbers and other forms of identification such as a driver’s license number, according to company officials, who said the breach didn’t impact Experian’s consumer credit database.

Also lost was data used in T-Mobile’s own credit assessment.

Experian -- which didn’t reveal from what company unit the information was gleaned -- said it was in the process of notifying consumers that may be affected.

“We take privacy very seriously and we understand that this news is both stressful and frustrating,” Experian North America Chief Executive Officer Craig Boundy said.

“We sincerely apologize for the concern and stress that this event may cause,” he said. “That’s why we’re taking steps to provide protection and support to those affected by this incident and will continue to coordinate with law enforcement during its investigation.”

Following reports an unauthorized party was able to gain access to an Experian server that contained the personal information of more than 15 million T-Mobile users, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey Friday offered consumers tips to guard against potential identity theft.

“Our office takes this significant data breach and the potential risks to Massachusetts consumers very seriously,” AG Healey said in a statement released Friday afternoon. “We have contacted both companies to review the circumstances and anticipate working with Attorneys General across the country on this matter. Our office urges people to take immediate steps to determine whether you have been a victim of ID theft and to protect your information going forward.”

T-Mobile says more than 287,000 Massachusetts residents may have had their data compromised, including social security numbers.

According to T-Mobile and the credit reporting company Experian, the breach compromised data used by T-Mobile in connection with credit checks of individuals who applied for T-Mobile services from Sept. 1, 2013 through Sept. 16, 2015. The data included name, address, birthdate, Social Security numbers, other ID numbers (such as driver’s license, military ID, or passport numbers), and additional information used in T-Mobile’s credit assessment.

The AG’s Office offers consumers the following tips to guard against identity theft:

• Monitor your credit report. You are entitled to one free credit report every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus (you can request one free report from a different bureau every four months to monitor throughout the year).

• Consider placing a “security freeze” on your credit report to prohibit the release of any information from your report without your written authorization.

• Beware of phishing attempts and unsolicited calls or emails offering credit monitoring or identity theft services. Consumers should never provide their social security number, credit card or other personal information in response to unsolicited emails or calls.

If you find unexplained activity on your credit reports or if you believe you are the victim of identity theft, there are important steps to take to protect yourself. Contact the Attorney General’s consumer hotline at (617) 727-8400, review the Attorney General’s Guide to Identity Theft, or view the Federal Trade Commission’s identity theft resource, available at www.consumer.gov/idtheft/.

Patch Staffer MARTIN HENDERSON contributed to this report.