Career Group careergroupcompanies.com Career Group data breach 2021: what happened and what to do
Career Group, a Los Angeles staffing firm, reported a data breach between June 28 and July 7, 2021, found on July 2. Maine's filing lists 49,476 people affected, with Social Security numbers involved. The company offered 12 months of credit monitoring.
View all 13,177 breaches- Breach date
- 28 Jun 2021
- Affected
- 49,476
- Data exposed
- Social security numbers
- Last updated
Reviewed by Anthon Wansland
Head of Product & Co-Founder
Serus is a privacy company with paid tools to find and remove your personal data. This page is free and based on official sources.
What happened
Career Group, Inc. is a Los Angeles recruiting and staffing firm. It said the breach took place between June 28 and July 7, 2021, and was detected on July 2. The Maine Attorney General's database lists 49,476 people affected, 18 of them in Maine, and Social Security numbers among the data involved. Letters went out on August 31, 2021.
Career Group did not describe the type of attack in its notice. SecurityWeek and DataBreaches.net reported that it looked like ransomware, and that the company said it had received assurances the removed data was deleted.
Sources checked: apps.web.maine.gov, databreaches.net, securityweek.com
Last verified against the official page:
What was exposed
The filing names Social Security numbers. Your letter says whether anything else was involved.
A Social Security number is the key item for identity theft. Someone with it and a name can try to open credit, file a tax return in your name or apply for benefits.
The company's response
Career Group offered 12 months of Experian credit monitoring and identity theft protection to affected people. The letter explains how to enrol. Enrolment is separate from a credit freeze, and you can use both.
What to do if you were in it
- 1
Freeze your credit at all three bureaus
A credit freeze is free and stops lenders from opening new accounts in your name. Place one at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, as the FTC explains.
- 2
Use the free credit monitoring if you were offered it
The notice letter explains how to enrol, and there is a deadline. The FTC recommends taking free credit monitoring when a company offers it. Enrolment is separate from a freeze, so do both.
- 3
File your taxes early and check your records
If your Social Security number leaked, the FTC advises acting quickly. File early if you can, and report a rejected return or unexpected tax notice at IdentityTheft.gov.
- 4
Be wary of messages that mention the breach
Scammers use real details to sound credible. Don't click links or call numbers in unexpected texts, emails or calls about jobs, pay or the breach. Go to the organization's own website instead. If you spot a scam, report it at IdentityTheft.gov.
- 5
Check whether your email or phone is in other breaches
Serus monitors breach databases and the dark web and alerts you when your details show up. Run a free scan to see where you stand. Our guide to what to do after a data breach covers the rest.
Official filings
- California Attorney General , filed 31 Aug 2021
Timeline
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The breach happened
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Reported to the California Attorney General
Frequently asked
Who was affected by the Career Group breach?
Maine's filing lists 49,476 people in total. Letters were mailed on August 31, 2021 to people whose Social Security numbers were involved.
Was it ransomware?
Career Group's notice didn't name the attack type. SecurityWeek and DataBreaches.net reported it appeared to be ransomware.
Should I freeze my credit?
The FTC says a credit freeze is free and blocks most new accounts in your name. If your letter lists a Social Security number, it is a sensible step.
Sources
- apps.web.maine.gov/online/aeviewer/ME/40/fc8485a3-fdc3-46c5-9705-b9cf302e0902.shtml
- databreaches.net/career-group-inc-notifies-more-than-49000-after-paying-ransom-to-threat-actors
- securityweek.com/recruiting-firm-apparently-pays-ransom-after-being-targeted-hackers/
- oag.ca.gov/privacy/databreach/list
- consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2022/10/have-you-been-affected-data-breach-read
- consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-credit-freezes-and-fraud-alerts
- identitytheft.gov/databreach
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