Scam of the day – April 25, 2026 – Class Actions Filed Against Citizens Bank Over Data Breach

by | Apr 24, 2026 | Scam of the day

Data breaches have become an all-too-common feature of life today and they pose a significant threat to all of us because regardless of how careful we are at protecting our personal data, we are only as secure as the companies and governmental agencies that hold our information.  This week two separate lawsuits seeking class action status were filed against Citizens Bank alleging lax security which led to a recent data breach  According to the lawsuits the ransomware group Everest claimed responsibility for a cyberattack against Citizens systems that compromised sensitive personal information of as many as millions of Citizens current and former customers.  Citizens acknowledges that they suffered a data breach, but assert that their own networks were not breached and that the data breach involved a third party vendor of Citizens affecting a “limited set of information for a small number of customers.”  However, the limited set of information included names and checking account numbers which when joined with the bank’s routing number, which is publicly available information, would enable a criminal to create counterfeit checks posing a serious threat to the affected customers.

TIPS

Victims of the data breach should monitor their checking accounts to look for checks that may have been drawn on their accounts. They also should freeze their credit if they have not already done so.  Freezing your credit is actually something everyone should do.  It is free and easy to do.  In addition, it protects you from someone using your identity to obtain loans or make large purchases even if they have your Social Security number.  If you have not already done so, put a credit freeze on your credit reports at all of the major credit reporting agencies.  Here are links to each of them with instructions about how to get a credit freeze:

Everyone also should monitor their credit reports regularly for indications of identity theft.  The three major credit reporting agencies now provide free weekly access to your credit reports so you can monitor your credit reports easily on your own.  Here is the only link to use to get your free credit reports.https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action
Some scammers have websites that appear to offer “free” credit reports, but if you read the fine print, you often may find that you have signed up for unnecessary services.
Finally, be wary of anyone who calls you purportedly to assist you who asks for personal information in regard to this data breach as that is a favorite tactic of the hackers to lure you into providing personal information that can lead to your becoming a victim of identity theft.

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