T-Mobile US confirmed hackers have accessed personal data, including social security numbers and driver’s license information, of more than 40 million former and prospective mobile phone customers.
The stolen files also included data from 7.8 million existing T-Mobile wireless customers, the telecom operator said.
Dates of birth, first and last names were also stolen, the telecom services provider said, adding there was no indication of their financial details being compromised.
The telecoms company, which had 104.8 million mobile phone customers as of June, acknowledged the data breach on Sunday. Media reports said a seller posted on an underground forum offering for sale some private data, including social security numbers from a breach at T-Mobile servers.
The seller claimed that 100 million people had their data compromised in the breach. The seller was offering data on 30 million people for 6 bitcoin, or around $270,000. Reports later suggested that the asking price had slumped and the entire data was being sold for just $200.