One Hack, 106 Million People: Capital One Ensnared By Breach

A hacker accessed the personal information of 106 million Capital One credit card holders or credit card applicants in the U.S. and Canada, in the latest massive data breach at a large company.

Capital One Financial Corp., one of the nation’s largest issuers of credit cards, said among the information obtained by the hacker was 140,000 Social Security numbers and 80,000 bank account numbers. It said no credit card account numbers or log-in credentials were compromised. The breach is among the largest of a major U.S. financial institution on record.

The bank said the bulk of the hacked data consisted of information supplied by consumers and small businesses who applied for credit cards between 2005 and early 2019. Consumers concerned that their information may have been hacked are advised to take steps such as obtaining a free copy of their credit report or freezing their credit.

Capital One’s stock tumbled nearly 6% Tuesday, the largest single-day decline since January. Paige A. Thompson, who uses the online handle “erratic,” was charged with a single count of computer fraud and abuse in U.S. District Court in Seattle. Thompson made an initial appearance in court and was ordered to remain in custody pending a detention hearing.

Federal agents began tracking Thompson online after being notified by Capital One of a possible breach in July.