More than 700,000 T-Mobile Customers in Illinois Affected by Data Breach

More than 700,000 T-Mobile users in Illinois may have had their personal information compromised, including Social Security numbers, after hackers gained access to a server at the company that processes the wireless carrier’s credit checks.

The data breach occurred at Experian, one of the nation’s largest credit reporting bureaus, exposing the names, birth dates, addresses, Social Security and drivers’ license numbers of 15 million T-Mobile customers who underwent credit checks between Sept. 1, 2013 and Sept. 16, 2015, though no payment information was stolen, Experian said last week.

In response to the massive data breach, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan released the following statement:

“We are taking Experian’s data breach and the potential risks to Illinois consumers very seriously,” Madigan said. “We have been in contact with the company to review the circumstances of the breach and anticipate working with Attorneys General across the country on this matter. Identity theft is a serious threat, and incorporating a few commonsense precautions in your daily routine can greatly reduce any damage done as a result of a data breach.”

Madigan also offered these nine tips to guard against potential identity theft, some of which are helpful pointers regardless of whether you were affected by the data breach.

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