Security News > 2021 > April > Auto Insurance Giant GEICO Discloses Data Breach
American auto insurance provider GEICO has disclosed a cyber-incident that resulted in driver's license numbers being compromised.
A wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, the Government Employees Insurance Company is the second largest car insurer in the United States, but also offers property insurance.
In a data breach notification to impacted individuals, the company reveals that, between January 21 and March 1, 2021, using customer information acquired elsewhere, fraudsters managed to gain unauthorized access to driver's license numbers by abusing the online sales system on Geico's website.
"We have reason to believe that this information could be used to fraudulently apply for unemployment benefits in your name," Geico says in a breach notification submitted to the website of California's Attorney General last week.
According to the company, no other information related to its customers has been compromised in the incident, and there's no saying whether the stolen data will indeed be used fraudulently, but users should still remain vigilant.
Geico hasn't provided information on the number of affected customers.
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