On October 3, 2024, HRB Tax Group, Inc. d/b/a H&R Block (“H&R Block”) filed a notice of data breach with the Attorney General of Texas after discovering that an unauthorized party was able to access information stored on H&R Block’s systems. In this notice, H&R Block explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party being able to access consumers’ sensitive information, which includes their names, Social Security numbers, financial account information, driver’s license numbers, and dates of birth. Upon completing its investigation, H&R Block 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 HRB Tax Group, Inc., 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 H&R Block data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.
What Caused the H&R Block Data Breach?
The H&R Block data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, H&R Block’s filing with the Attorney General of Texas provides some important information on what led up to the breach. According to this source, on August 9, 2024, H&R Block learned that an unauthorized party used information obtained from sources other than H&R Block to obtain access to information associated with certain clients’ accounts or MyBlock accounts. The period of unauthorized access is believed to be between August 5, 2024 and August 7, 2024.
In response to learning about the incident, H&R Block began working with third-party data security experts to conduct an investigation. Through this investigation, H&R Block confirmed that the unauthorized party had been able to access confidential information belonging to certain individuals.
After learning that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, H&R Block reviewed the compromised files to determine what information was leaked and which consumers were impacted. H&R Block recently completed this process. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name, Social Security number, financial account information, driver’s license number, and date of birth.
On October 3, 2024, H&R Block 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 HRB Tax Group, Inc.
HRB Tax Group, Inc. d/b/a H&R Block is a large accounting and tax-preparation company based in Kansas City, Missouri. H&R Block operates more than 12,000 retail tax offices in the United States, Canada and Australia. H&R Block also offers business consulting services, consumer tax software and online tax preparation/electronic filing services. H&R Block employs more than 4,000 people year-round and 70,000 people on a seasonal basis and generates approximately $3.6 billion in annual revenue.
