More than 100 million customers affected by Capital One data breach


Capital One announced on Monday that a hacker was able to gain access to more than 100 million credit card applications, and stole thousands of Social Security and bank account numbers.
The FBI arrested a suspect, Paige A. Thompson, in the Seattle area on Monday, charging her with computer fraud and abuse. Court records show the data theft took took place between March 12 and July 17, and affected 100 million individuals in the United States and six million in Canada. "While I am grateful that the perpetrator has been caught, I am deeply sorry for what has happened," Capital One Chairman and CEO Richard D. Fairbank said. "I sincerely apologize for the understandable worry this incident must be causing those affected and I am committed to making it right."
Capital One said no credit card numbers were stolen in the breach, and the incident will likely cost the company between $100 million and $150 million. This is one of the largest data breaches to ever hit the financial world.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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