Financial Foundations Data Breach: Social Security Numbers Exposed

Financial Foundations Inc., an independent financial services firm based in Mt. Airy, Maryland, disclosed a data breach. So far, , 4,465 Massachusetts residents and 14 Vermont residents were reported as impacted.

The breach was additionally reported to the Maine Attorney General.

After discovering the incident, Financial Foundations launched an investigation to determine what information was affected and who was impacted. The company also stated that the incident caused no disruption to its business operations.

The investigation found that a wide range of sensitive personal information exposed included names, Social Security numbers, driver's licenses, government ID numbers, credit or debit account information, credit and debit card numbers, financial account information, financial account codes and health records.

Financial Foundations' response to the breach

The company is offering affected individuals 24 months of free credit monitoring and identity restoration services through Kroll, a global risk mitigation firm. Those who received a notification letter can enroll at Kroll's enrollment page using the unique membership number included in their letter. The services include credit monitoring, fraud consultation and identity theft restoration.

Financial Foundations has set up additional resources for those with questions. Affected individuals can call a toll-free call center at 844-576-2703, available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Central Time, excluding U.S. holidays.

They may also contact Financial Foundations directly by writing to 2 Park Central Drive, Suite 310, Southborough, MA 01772, or by calling 508-620-1000.

Steps to take if your information was exposed

• Place a fraud alert or credit freeze with the three major credit bureaus. Contact Equifax at 888-298-0045, Experian at 888-397-3742 or TransUnion at 800-916-8800.
• Request free credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and review them carefully for any unfamiliar accounts or suspicious activity.
• Monitor financial accounts closely for unauthorized transactions, since credit and debit card numbers and financial account information were involved in this breach.
• Review health insurance statements for any services or charges that do not look familiar, as health records were among the types of information exposed.
• File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov or by calling 877-438-4338 if there are signs that personal information has been misused.
• Be cautious of phishing attempts that reference Financial Foundations Inc. or this data breach by name, as scammers may try to use the incident to trick people into sharing more personal details.