How to Tell If You’re A Louisiana Customer Affected by the AT&T Data Breach

Lafayette, LA (KPEL News) - Louisiana, Texas, and several southern states dealt with a major AT&T outage on February 22 that left millions of customers with phone stuck in SOS mode. That outage is currently under investigation by the FCC because emergency and 911 systems were also affected.

The telecommunications giant is now dealing with another issue. It released as statement on Saturday, March 30, 2024, that the personal information of 73 million people in its system was found on the "dark web." That number includes 7.6 million current and 65.4 million former account holders. AT&T said in the statement that they don't know if the data:

originated from AT&T or one of its vendors.

Louisiana customers are understandably nervous that critical information, including social security numbers, may be available for misuse by black hats, ne'er-do-wells who can navigate the digital space in ways most of us can't even comprehend.

The data appears to be from 2019 or earlier, and they don't believe it includes financial information. However, email and mailing addresses, phone number, and birth dates may be involved.

WERE YOU AFFECTED?

Louisiana AT&T customers should keep an eye on their email and snail mail. A spokesperson for the company told the Associated Press that email notices began going out on Saturday. Affected customers in every state, including Louisiana, will receive an email and/or a letter notifying them.

AT&T also issued a message to all its customers via the app or when you log onto your account on a computer. I'm a Louisiana customer and was concerned. When I opened the app, the following message was available:

WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Truthfully, any data breach that may have exposed my information makes me incredibly nervous. I'm sure I'm not the only Louisiana customer who is concerned about it.

First, don't delete an email from AT&T. Be careful about clicking on a link unless you are able to verify that the company actually sent it to you.

Second, keep an eye out for a letter in your mailbox.

If you were affected, AT&T will reset your passcode. Let me tell you, this Louisiana girl had no idea I even HAVE a passcode. My phone looks at my face and lets me into my account. I'm not sure I remember my password, much less a passcode. If you're in the same boat, the company explains:

One suggestion they offer, and I agree with, is to set up multifactor authentication on your accounts. If a company offers that option (and AT&T does), you will be required to not only input your username and password, the system will also send you a text or email when there is a login attempt (even by you).

Louisiana folks are made of tough stuff. If you were affected, follow the steps, keep an eye on your credit, and set up all the alerts. This is certainly not the first time our information has been exposed and, in the digital age, it's likely not the last.