AT&T Data Breach: What Was Exposed and What to Do
AT&T disclosed two separate incidents in 2024. They exposed very different data, so the right response depends on which one affected you.
By Siddharth ShankarUpdated October 18, 2026In March 2024, AT&T said a data set released on the dark web affected about 7.6 million current and 65.4 million former account holders, and included Social Security numbers. In July 2024, it said call and text records for nearly all of its cellular customers from 2022 had been downloaded from a third-party cloud platform. A $177 million settlement covered both. If you were affected, protect your SSN with a credit freeze and stay alert to scam calls and texts.
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AT&T is one of the largest phone companies in the US, so its breaches touched a huge share of the country. The two incidents are often mixed up, but they are different in what leaked and what you should do.
Incident 1: the dark web data set (March 2024)
On March 30, 2024, AT&T said a data set released on the dark web about two weeks earlier affected about 7.6 million current account holders and about 65.4 million former account holders. It said the data appeared to be from 2019 or earlier and included personal information such as Social Security numbers. At the time, AT&T said it did not yet know whether the data came from AT&T or one of its vendors.
Incident 2: call and text records (July 2024)
On July 12, 2024, AT&T said files containing call and text records for nearly all of its cellular customers had been downloaded from its workspace on a third-party cloud platform. The records covered May 1 to October 31, 2022, plus January 2, 2023 for a small number of customers.
AT&T said the records showed which numbers each line interacted with, and for some records cell site ID numbers. It said they did not include the content of calls or texts, Social Security numbers, dates of birth or customer names, but warned that public online tools can often link a phone number to a name.
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The settlement
AT&T agreed to a $177 million settlement covering both incidents. According to NBC’s report, eligible people could claim up to $5,000 for the March incident, up to $2,500 for the call records incident, or up to $7,500 if affected by both. The claim deadline was December 18, 2025, through telecomdatasettlement.com.
What to do if you were affected
1Freeze your credit
If your SSN was in the March data set, place a free credit freeze at all three bureaus. This is the most important step.
2Get an IRS IP PIN
A leaked SSN can be used for tax fraud. An IRS Identity Protection PIN blocks that.
3Change your account passcode
Set a new AT&T account passcode and add extra security to stop your number being moved to another SIM. See our SIM swap statistics for why this matters.
4Watch for scam calls and texts
Call records show who you talk to. Scammers can use them to pretend to be a contact or your carrier. Hang up and call back on a known number.
5Check your email against breaches
Run the free check on this page to see which other breaches include your email.
How to tell which incident affected you
If your notice mentioned Social Security numbers or account details from 2019 or earlier, it relates to the March 2024 data set. If it mentioned call and text records from 2022, it relates to the July 2024 incident. Some people were in both. The steps differ: a leaked SSN calls for a credit freeze and an IRS IP PIN, while leaked call records call for extra caution with calls and texts that claim to come from people you know.
Check your other accounts too
If your AT&T email address or phone number was linked to other services, those accounts become more attractive targets after a breach. Make sure your email and bank accounts use unique passwords and two-factor authentication, ideally with an authenticator app rather than text codes.
Why old data still matters
The March data was from 2019 or earlier, but Social Security numbers and dates of birth do not change. That makes old breaches with SSNs a long-term risk. See should you worry about an old data breach and what to do if your SSN was leaked.
Sources
- AT&T: Addressing data set released on the dark web (March 30, 2024) (7.6M current, 65.4M former, SSNs, 2019 or earlier)
- AT&T: Addressing illegal download of customer data (July 12, 2024) (call and text records, 2022 dates, what was not included)
- NBC New York: AT&T data breach settlement deadline ($177M, up to $5,000 / $2,500 / $7,500, December 18, 2025 deadline)
Frequently asked questions
How many people were affected by the AT&T breach?
The March 2024 incident affected about 7.6 million current and 65.4 million former account holders. The July 2024 incident involved call and text records of nearly all AT&T cellular customers.
Were Social Security numbers exposed?
Yes, in the March 2024 data set. AT&T said the July 2024 call records did not include SSNs.
Were call recordings or texts leaked?
No. AT&T said the records did not include the content of calls or texts.
Can I still claim from the settlement?
The claim deadline reported for the $177 million settlement was December 18, 2025. Check telecomdatasettlement.com for the current status.
What is the most important step if my SSN leaked?
Freeze your credit at all three bureaus. It is free and stops new credit being opened in your name.
See if your email has already leaked
- Checks your email against known data breaches
- Shows which sites leaked it, when, and what leaked
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Change reused and leaked passwords
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