Pacific City Bank (PCB), one of America’s major Korean-American community financial service providers, has admitted to being a victim of a ransomware attack that occurred last month.
The bank is sending out letters to customers informing them of a security issue that was discovered on August 30, 2021. They say the issue was quickly resolved.
On September 7, 2021, PCB’s internal investigation of what transpired was finished. It was found that ransomware perpetrators had hacked the following information from its systems:
- Loan application forms
- Full names
- Addresses
- Payroll records of client firms
- Tax return documents
- W-2 information of client firms
- Wage and tax details
- Social Security Numbers
According to PCB, not all clients were affected in the same way because each customer submitted different papers and information kept in the hacked systems.
Furthermore, it is unknown if this incident impacts the bank’s whole customer or simply a tiny fraction.
The receivers of these notifications are urged to be wary of unsolicited mail and to keep an eye on their bank accounts and credit reports for signs of fraud.
In addition, the bank is providing Equifax with a one-year complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection service, with information on how to sign up included in the letters. To prevent being conned by actors who may try to take advantage of the situation, follow the guidelines mentioned in the letter.
While Pacific City Bank did not name the ransomware gang responsible for the September attack, AvosLocker has claimed responsibility and posted an entry on their data leak site.
There are no discrepancies in the data that were finally uploaded on the extortion portal since they reveal what PCB has now confessed was hacked.
AvosLocker is one of the more recent ransomware operators, having emerged in the open this summer and soliciting affiliates to join the RaaS on numerous underground sites.
