Citibank: Hack Attack Twice as Big as We Thought

Published June 16, 2011

More than 360,000 Citibank customers had their private information hacked last month, nearly double the company's original estimate, according to a press release issued by the bank on Wednesday.

More than 360,000 Citibank customers had their private information hacked last month, nearly double the company's original estimate, according to a press release issued by the bank on Wednesday.

The hackers accessed customers' names, account numbers and email addresses. They did not get to see other information especially useful for committing fraud, including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, card security codes and expiration dates, according to the bank.

The attack affected Citi's Account Online system, but not the company's main transaction processing network. The company assured consumers that they won't have to pay for any fraudulent purchases resulting from the data breach.

"Our customers are not liable for any unauthorized use of their accounts," Citi said in a press release.

The bank has been criticized by some, including Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), for taking three weeks to notify customers about the breach. In its statement, Citi said it responded as soon as the breach was detected, but that it required the analysis of "millions of pieces of data" before company researchers could figure out how much information the hackers accessed.

The attack was discovered on May 10. Citi told reporters about it on June 8, and the first notification letters were mailed to consumers on June 3. Most customers whose information was compromised received replacement credit cards.

[Tool: Quickly assess your risk of identity theft for free]

Image: Liam Dunn, via Flickr

You might also like

Blog Post Image
Personal Finance

The 7 Financial Choices You’ll Regret 5 Years From Now

If I could turn back time, here's a list of 7 decisions I would've made differently years ago.

Nikkita Walker

Blog Post Image
Personal Finance

6 Tips From Experts About Achieving Financial Independence

There are many ways to avoid financial stress and consistently have spendable wealth. Here are 6 tips to become independently wealthy.

Nikkita Walker

Blog Post Image
Personal Finance

6 Tips From Experts About Achieving Financial Independence

There are many ways to avoid financial stress and consistently have spendable wealth. Here are 6 tips to become independently wealthy.

Nikkita Walker