Scam of the day – March 20, 2026 – Scammers Sending Out Phony Data Breach Notices

by | Mar 19, 2026 | Scam of the day

Data breaches have become an unfortunate fact of life for us all.  In 2025 there were 12,195 confirmed data breaches that put millions of us in danger of identity theft.  Taking advantage of public awareness of data breaches and the dangers they pose, scammers are sending out emails and text messages posing as companies with which we do business containing phony notices of data breaches with links or QR codes that take you to sites where you are prompted to provide personal information that would lead to your becoming a victim of identity theft.

TIPS

Trust me, you can’t trust anyone.  Whenever you get such a data breach notice, you can’t be sure if it is legitimate or not and the emails, text messages and websites constructed by the scammers using AI can be very convincing.  Therefore, if you get such a notice and want to follow up on it, go directly on your own to the website of the company that appears to be involved where you can find accurate information about any actual data breaches and your options.

With data breaches so common, it is also important to limit the amount of personal information you provide any company to no more than what is absolutely necessary. Many companies ask for your Social Security number although they have no real need for that information.  Don’t provide it whenever you can.
Finally, be wary of anyone who contacts you purporting to help you in regard to a data breach who  asks for personal information in regard to this data breach as that is a favorite tactic of scammers to lure you into providing additional personal information that can lead to your becoming a victim of identity theft.

If you are not a subscriber to Scamicide.com and would like to receive daily emails with the Scam of the day, all you need to do is sign up for free using this link. https://scamicide.com/scam-of-the-day/