On June 25, 2024, American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company (“American Equity”) filed a notice of data breach with the Attorney General of Massachusetts after discovering that an unauthorized party was able to access sensitive data through a compromised email account. In this notice, American Equity explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party being able to access consumers’ sensitive information, which includes their names, annuity contract numbers and Social Security numbers. Upon completing its investigation, American Equity began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was affected by the recent data security incident.
If you received a data breach notification from American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. A data breach lawyer can help you learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft, as well as discuss your legal options following the American Equity data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.
What Caused the American Equity Data Breach?
The American Equity data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, American Equity’s filing with the Attorney General of Massachusetts provides some important information on what led up to the breach.
According to this source, on May 23, 2024, American Equity learned about a data security incident involving a compromised employee email account. In response, American Equity secured its systems, updated passwords, and took other steps to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future. American Equity also launched an investigation to learn more about the incident and determine what, if any, consumer information may have been subject to unauthorized access.
Through this investigation, American Equity confirmed that the unauthorized party was able to access confidential information belonging to certain consumers.
After learning that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, American Equity reviewed the compromised files to determine what information was leaked and which consumers were impacted. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name, annuity contract number and Social Security number.
On June 25, 2024, American Equity sent out data breach letters to anyone who was affected by the recent data security incident. These letters should provide victims with a list of what information belonging to them was compromised.
More Information About American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company
American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company is a financial services and life insurance company based out of West Des Moines, Iowa. Through its fixed annuities and fixed index annuities, American Equity funds more than half a million retirement accounts. American Equity employs more than 900 people and generates approximately $1.7 billion in annual revenue.
