On September 27, 2023, a notice appeared on the Attorney General of Maine’s website discussing a data breach involving those customers who have a card issues by Pathward, N.A. This notice explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party being able to access consumers’ sensitive information, which includes their names, addresses, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, email addresses, phone numbers, and credit card information. Recently, data breach notification letters were sent to all individuals whose information was affected by the recent data security incident.

If you received a data breach notification involving a credit card issue by Pathward, N.A., it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. Although this incident didn’t affect Pathward’s IT network, it did affect those who hold cards issued by the company. This increases the cardholder’s risk of identity theft. 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 Pathward cardholder data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.

What Caused the Data Breach Affecting Pathward Card Holders?

The Pathward data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, the recent filing with the Attorney General of Maine provides some important information on what led up to the breach. According to this source, Pathward is the company that issues H&R Block Emerald Cards. However, once Pathward issues the card, Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (“Fidelity”) services the account.

Evidently, Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. used MOVEit, a popular file-transfer software in the normal course of business. Recently, the developer of MOVEit, Progress Software, announced a critical vulnerability that allowed hackers to access data stored within MOVEit servers, including Fidelity’s.

Upon being informed of the incident, Fidelity launched an investigation, confirming that confidential consumer data was accessible to the unauthorized party.

After learning that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, Pathward 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, address, Social Security number, date of birth, driver’s license number, email address, phone number, and credit card information.

On September 27, 2023, Emerald Card 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 which information of theirs was compromised. Based on the available information, it does not appear as though the IT systems belonging to H&R Block, Emerald Card, or Pathward were affected, as the compromised data was all located on Fidelity’s MOVEit server.

More Information About Pathward, N.A.

Pathward, N.A. is a finance company located in Souix Falls, South Dakota, The company is a subsidiary of Pathward Financial, Inc., which is a financial holding company based out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Pathward operates in several related industries, including traditional retail banking operation; electronic payments; insurance premium financing; and tax-related financial solutions. Pathward employs more than 1,164 people and generates approximately $517 million in annual revenue.