Optima Tax Relief Data Breach Affects SSNs and financial info

On May 1, 2025, Optima Tax Relief, LLC, a national tax resolution firm, detected suspicious activity within its network. According to the investigation, a cybercriminal accessed Optima’s network between May 1 and May 6, 2025, and downloaded copies of certain files.

The ransomware group known as CHAOS claimed responsibility, stating they obtained 69 GB of Optima’s data. The group posted about the incident on the dark web Tor network on June 6, 2025.

The breach exposed sensitive personal and financial information, including names, Social Security numbers, and financial information such as account numbers and potentially credit or debit card numbers. The total number of affected individuals has not been released but could be in the thousands.

Optima Tax Relief disclosed the data breach to both the California and Texas Attorneys General on Aug. 15, 2025. The cybersecurity incident affected at least 341 Texas residents. The company is notifying affected individuals by mail.

Optima Tax Relief's response

In addition to required state and federal disclosures, Optima Tax Relief is offering free Kroll identity monitoring services to consumers impacted by the data breach.

If you receive a notice from Optima Tax Relief about this breach, you may want to:

• Sign up for the free Kroll identity protection services, offered by Optima Tax Relief.
• Monitor your credit reports and financial accounts for any unusual activity.
• Be alert for phishing emails or phone calls that may use your exposed information.
• Consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze with major credit bureaus.

More information about the company and its services can be found on the Optima Tax Relief website.