Anthem Data Breach Affects Nearly 1 Million Massachusetts Customers
Attorney General Maura Healey issued a warning to Massachusetts residents Wednesday on ways to to prevent identity theft, following an announcement this week from Anthem Inc. that hackers accessed the personal information of nearly 1 million people with ties to the state.
“Our office is very concerned that this significant data breach may have put the personal information of Massachusetts consumers at risk,’’ she said in a statement. “We have been in contact with Anthem to review the circumstances and will continue to investigate this matter with Attorneys General across the country.’’
Anthem, a national health insurance company operating in 14 states with ties to Blue Cross and Blue Shield, said on Tuesday that around 967,000 Massachusetts customers were affected by the breach that hit more than 78 million people nationwide, according to a press release. The hack included information about names, birthdays, Social Security numbers, street and email addresses, and employment data. There is no evidence that credit card or medical information was included in the hack, according to Anthem.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts said in a statement that 375,000 of its members were affected by the hack, but that most members live in another state while working for a Massachusetts-based company.
Healey announced earlier this month, when the breach was first reported, that her office was investigating the matter. The office also posted a list of identity theft prevention tips.
Anthem will notify all customers affected by the breach and is also offering two years of free identity protection services.
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