Comcast has issued a warning that hackers were able to steal the personal information of over 230,000 customers as a result of a ransomware attack on a third-party debt collector, as reported in a court filing. The attack specifically targeted a Pennsylvania-based debt collection agency called Financial Business and Consumer Solutions (FBCS). Despite the attack occurring in February, FBCS initially denied any customer data being compromised, only to later confirm in July that customer information was indeed accessed. In total, 237,703 subscribers were affected, with the hackers obtaining names, addresses, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, Comcast account numbers, and ID numbers. The stolen data pertained to customers who signed up with Comcast around 2021. The cybercriminals responsible for the breach remain unidentified, as FBCS only referred to them as an “unauthorized actor.” Interestingly, the attack also impacted medical debt-purchasing company CF Medical and Truist Bank, affecting a total of over four million individuals. Consumers are advised to remain vigilant against potential scams, especially those targeting debtors. The scale of data breaches continues to be a growing concern, with hackers having accessed over 2.7 billion records of American consumers earlier this year.
