Convergent Outsourcing convergentusa.com Convergent Outsourcing data breach: what happened and what to do
Convergent Outsourcing, a debt collection company, said it became aware of a disruption to its systems on June 17, 2022. Its notice letter says names, contact details, financial account numbers and Social Security numbers were involved. Notices went out from late October 2022.
View all 13,177 breaches- Breach date
- 17 Jun 2022
- Data exposed
- Names, Contact information, Bank account numbers, Social security numbers
- Last updated
Reviewed by Anthon Wansland
Head of Product & Co-Founder
Serus is a privacy company with paid tools to find and remove your personal data. This page is free and based on official sources.
What happened
Convergent Outsourcing is a debt collection and accounts receivable company, so people can be in its systems without ever having dealt with it directly: it works on behalf of other businesses. In its notice letter, filed with state attorneys general, the company says it became aware on June 17, 2022 of an interruption to services affecting certain computer systems.
What was exposed
The notice letter lists name, contact information, financial account number and Social Security number. The letter says the incident also affected the business operations of its affiliate, Account Control Technology. A litigation site describes the cause as ransomware. Convergent's letter itself speaks of an interruption to its systems, so treat the ransomware label as a description from outside the company.
Why this combination is risky
A Social Security number together with a financial account number is the combination used to open credit or attempt account takeover. A phone number and address let a scammer pose as a collector or a bank and sound informed.
Timeline and response
The state attorney general listings show notices to consumers starting in late October and early November 2022. California and Washington both list the notification. A class action over the incident was later settled without any admission of wrongdoing, according to the settlement coverage.
The notice is the best guide to what applies to you, and the steps below follow FTC guidance for a leaked Social Security number.
Sources checked: maine.gov, oag.ca.gov, atg.wa.gov
Last verified against the official page:
What to do if you were in it
- 1
Freeze your credit at all three bureaus
A credit freeze is free and stops new accounts being opened in your name. Ask Equifax, Experian and TransUnion separately, as the FTC explains at consumer.ftc.gov. You can lift it whenever you need to apply for credit.
- 2
Tell your bank about the exposed account number
If a financial account number is in your letter, call the bank using the number on your card and ask about extra monitoring or a new account number.
- 3
Watch your statements and credit reports
Check your bank and card statements for charges you don't recognize, and pull your free reports at annualcreditreport.com. If something looks wrong, report it at IdentityTheft.gov, the FTC's reporting site.
- 4
Expect phishing that mentions the breach
Scammers use real names and addresses to sound credible. Don't click links in unexpected emails or texts, and contact the organization using the number on its official website.
- 5
Report identity theft if it happens
Report it at IdentityTheft.gov, which gives you a recovery plan and generates the paperwork to send to creditors.
- 6
Check whether your email or phone is in this and other breaches
Run a free Serus scan. It checks breach databases and the dark web for your email and phone number and tells you what to do next. Serus can't remove data from a breach, but it alerts you when your details turn up.
Frequently asked
Was I affected by the Convergent Outsourcing data breach?
People whose data was involved were sent a notice letter. If you got one, you were affected. Convergent works for other companies, so you may be listed even if you never dealt with it.
What was exposed?
Its notice letter lists name, contact information, financial account number and Social Security number.
Is there a settlement?
A class action settlement was reported, reached without Convergent admitting wrongdoing. The claim deadline was June 19, 2024, so check the settlement website for its current status.
Should I freeze my credit?
Yes, if you got a notice that lists your Social Security number. A freeze is free.
Sources
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll re-check it.
