Advantage Gold Data Breach Exposes PII of 7,960 Clients

Advantage Gold, a Los Angeles-based financial services company that specializes in helping clients convert traditional IRAs or eligible 401(k)s into physical gold and other precious metals, has disclosed a data breach affecting approximately 7,960 individuals in the United States, including 36 Maine residents.

In filings dated March 29, 2026, the breach was disclosed to attorneys general in California, Maine, and Texas. Advantage Gold discovered the breach on Sept. 5, 2025, and will begin notifying affected consumers electronically on March 27, 2026.

What happened in the Advantage Gold data breach

According to Advantage Gold's notification to consumers, the breach resulted from a vulnerability in third-party firewall software that the company uses to protect its network.

The company stated that during the late third and early fourth calendar quarters of 2025, hackers became aware of the vulnerability in the firewall software.

Before the vendor that made the software informed Advantage Gold of the problem, unauthorized persons exploited the flaw to bypass the company's firewall. This allowed them to gain access to the company's internal networks and systems, including those that stored personal information belonging to Advantage Gold clients.

The types of personal information subject to unauthorized access included names, addresses, contact information, a limited number of Social Security numbers and custodian account numbers.

Advantage Gold's response to the breach

Advantage Gold is offering affected individuals 24 months of complimentary identity protection through Experian IdentityWorks. The membership does not require a credit card to enroll. It includes several features designed to help detect and address potential misuse of personal information.

Affected individuals will receive an activation code in their notification, which they can use to enroll at the Experian IdentityWorks website. The deadline to enroll is June 30, 2026. Even after the 24-month membership period ends, enrollees will continue to have access to identity restoration support through Experian's ExtendCare program.

Advantage Gold has also set up a dedicated toll-free phone line for individuals who have questions, need help with identity restoration or prefer to enroll by phone rather than online. That number is 833-918-1091, and representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central time, excluding major U.S. holidays.

Steps to take if your information was exposed

• Review retirement and financial account statements carefully. Because custodian account numbers were among the data exposed, affected individuals should check their IRA and investment account statements for any unauthorized transactions or changes.
• Place a fraud alert or credit freeze on credit files. Affected individuals can contact Equifax (1-800-525-6285), Experian (1-888-397-3742) or TransUnion (1-800-888-4213) to help prevent new accounts from being opened in their name.
• Monitor credit reports through AnnualCreditReport.com. Free credit reports are available from each of the three major credit bureaus and should be reviewed for unfamiliar accounts, inquiries or other suspicious activity.
• Report any suspicious activity to the Federal Trade Commission. Anyone who notices signs of identity theft or fraud can contact the FTC at 1-877-382-4357 or visit IdentityTheft.gov for step-by-step guidance.
• Be cautious of phishing attempts that reference this breach. Scammers may send emails, texts or phone calls pretending to be from Advantage Gold or Experian in an attempt to collect additional personal information.
• Change passwords and security questions on financial accounts. Updating login credentials on retirement accounts and other financial platforms can help reduce the risk of unauthorized access.