On September 20, 2023, BMO Bank, NA (“BMO”) filed a notice of data breach with the Attorney General of Texas after discovering that information entrusted to the company was accessible to an unauthorized party. In this notice, BMO explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party being able to access consumers’ sensitive information, which includes their names, Social Security numbers, addresses, and dates of birth. Upon completing its investigation, BMO 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 BMO Bank, NA, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. As we’ve discussed in previous posts, your Social Security number is among hackers’ most prized targets due to the ease with which they can use this information to commit identity theft and other types of fraud. Hackers have also been known to sell SSNs to other criminals on the dark web. 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 BMO Bank data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.
What Caused the BMO Bank Breach?
The BMO Bank data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. Unfortunately, BMO’s filing with the Attorney General of Texas provides little information on what led up to the breach, and BMO doesn’t yet appear to have posted a notice on the company’s website. Thus, we don’t yet know what caused the breach.
However, After learning that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, BMO Bank 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, Social Security number, address, and date of birth.
On September 20, 2023, BMO Bank 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 BMO Bank, NA
BMO Bank, NA, is a financial institution based in Chicago, Illinois. BMO Bank, recently changed its name from BMO Harris Bank, is a subsidiary of which owns it through the holding company BMO Financial Corporation. BMO Bank is currently the 8th largest bank in the United States, by total assets. BMO Bank employs more than 12,000 people and generates approximately $3 billion in annual revenue.
