Georgia Heritage Data Breach Affects 43,077 People

Georgia Heritage Federal Credit Union, a member-owned credit union based in the Savannah, Georgia metro area, disclosed a data breach that affected approximately 43,077 individuals in the United States.

On or about Jan. 25, 2025, Georgia Heritage Federal Credit Union experienced a ransomware incident, according to the company's notification to affected individuals. During a ransomware attack, cybercriminals attempt to encrypt or lock an organization's digital files and then demand payment in exchange for a digital key to unlock them.

Upon discovering the unauthorized activity, Georgia Heritage immediately secured its network and engaged a specialized third-party cybersecurity firm to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the nature and scope of the incident. Following the investigation, the credit union engaged a separate data mining vendor to review the files that had been accessed.

This review identified the specific individuals whose information may have been involved and determined the types of data that were potentially exposed.

The types of personal information that may have been subject to unauthorized access included names, addresses, dates of birth, driver's license information, employment-related information, financial account information, Foreign National ID numbers, health-related information, passport information, personal email addresses, personal telephone numbers, Social Insurance numbers and Social Security numbers.

A filing with the Maine Attorney General, dated April 17, 2026, identifies 18 Maine residents as affected by the breach. Georgia Heritage discovered the breach on Feb. 10, 2025, and began notifying affected consumers on Jan. 15, 2026.

Georgia Heritage Federal Credit Union's response

Georgia Heritage notified affected individuals by first-class mail. The written notices included details about the incident, the types of information involved, the free monitoring services being offered and additional resources for protecting against identity theft.

The notification also included information about rights specific to residents of certain states, including the right to file police reports and contact their state attorney general.

To help protect affected individuals, Georgia Heritage is offering access to CyEx Financial Shield Complete with Experian Single Bureau Credit Monitoring services at no charge for 12 months from the date of enrollment. These services send alerts when changes occur to a person's credit file, with notifications delivered on the same day the change takes place. The credit union is also providing proactive fraud assistance through HaystackID, a company that specializes in fraud assistance and remediation services.

Affected individuals can enroll in the free monitoring services by visiting the enrollment page and entering the unique code included in their written notification. Enrollment must be completed within 90 days from the date of the notification letter. The credit union noted that enrollment is not guaranteed and may not be available to everyone, as the monitoring agency may require individuals to verify personal information to confirm their identity.

For questions or concerns, Georgia Heritage has set up a toll-free call center at 888-844-1195. The call center is available from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Eastern Time, excluding U.S. national holidays.