On August 29, 2023, F21 OpCo LLC d/b/a Forever 21 (“Forever 21”) filed a notice of data breach with the Attorney General of Maine after discovering an external system breach compromised the information of over 539,000 individuals. In this notice, Forever 21 explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party being able to access consumers’ sensitive information, which includes their names and Social Security numbers. Upon completing its investigation, Forever 21 began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was affected by the recent data security incident.
If you received a data breach notification from Forever 21, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. As we’ve previously reported, hackers often carry out cyberattacks with the specific hope of obtaining consumers’’ Social Security numbers. This is because your SSN can easily be used by hackers to commit identity theft and other frauds. A data breach lawyer can help you learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft, as well as discuss your legal options following the Forever 21 data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.
What Caused the Forever 21 Breach?
The Forever 21 data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, Forever 21’s filing with the Attorney General of Maine provides some important information on what led up to the breach. According to this source, on August 4, 2023, Forever 21 discovered a potential cybersecurity issue, prompting the company to investigate.
The Forever 21 investigation confirmed that an unauthorized party was able to access confidential information that had been provided to the company. The period of unauthorized access was between January 5, 2023 and March 21, 2023.
After learning that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, Forever 21 reviewed the compromised files to determine what information was leaked and which consumers were impacted. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name and Social Security number.
On August 29, 2023, Forever 21 sent out data breach letters to anyone who was affected by the recent data security incident. These letters should provide victims with a list of what information belonging to them was compromised.
More Information About Forever 21
Founded in 1984, Forever 21 is a fashion retailer based out of Los Angeles, California. Forever 21 sells men's and women's clothing as well as accessories through a network of more than 540 locations in the United States and abroad. Forever 21 also operates an e-commerce site where customers can purchase products directly. Forever 21 employs more than 32,800 people and generates approximately $6.9 billion in annual revenue.
