One of the three major credit bureaus has fallen victim to a cyberattack that exposed the personal data of more than 4.4 million Americans. TransUnion confirmed the breach, which involved a third-party application, on Aug. 28, 2025. According to the agency, the attack occurred on July 28 and was discovered two days later.
In a statement, TransUnion said it had "quickly contained the issue, which did not involve our core credit database or include credit reports."
Affected consumers have been offered two years of free access to TransUnion's TrueIdentity credit monitoring service.
The name of the targeted application was not revealed, but Reuters has reported a surge in cyberattacks aimed at tricking workers in the U.S and Europe into opening their Salesforce databases. Once inside, hackers can plunder vast stores of data, infiltrate other cloud systems and extort compromised companies.
What is TransUnion
Alongside Experian and Equifax, TransUnion is one of the "big three" consumer credit reporting agencies. It collects financial information on nearly every U.S. consumer with an active credit history.
The data is compiled into individual credit reports, which lenders, landlords and other parties use to assess someone's creditworthiness and associated risk.
An algorithm from FICO can be applied to information in your TransUnion file to determine your three-digit credit score.
How to check if your TransUnion data was hacked
TransUnion began sending letters to individuals affected by the breach in August 2025. You can also check your status directly with its fraud assistance line at 800-516-4700, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
Regularly reviewing your credit reports from TransUnion, Equifax and Experian will also help you spot if your data has been compromised. Free weekly reports from all three agencies are available from AnnualCreditReport.com.
Paid services like MyFico provide updates on FICO credit scores and monitor accounts for errors and evidence of fraud.
FICO® Basic, Advanced and Premier
Cost
$29.95 to $39.95 per month
Credit bureaus monitored
Experian for Basic plan or Experian, Equifax and TransUnion for Advanced and Premier plans
Credit scoring model used
FICO
Dark web scan
Yes, for Advanced and Premier plans
Identity insurance
Yes, up to $1 million
Terms apply.
WalletHub and Credit Karma let you check your VantageScore for free. Lenders rely on VantageScore much less often than FICO, but your score will give you a sense of your current credit profile and whether there have been any sudden changes.
Credit Karma
Cost
Free, with some paid features available to opt in
Credit bureaus monitored
2-bureau credit monitoring, alerts and reports: Equifax and TransUnion®
Credit scoring model used
VantageScore® 3.0
Dark web scan
Yes
Identity theft insurance
No
Terms apply.
How to protect yourself from identity theft
Freezing your credit prevents outside companies from accessing your credit information and the process is both simple and free. You do have to contact each credit agency individually.
- Equifax: Visit the Equifax Consumer Services Center or call 800-349-9960.
- Experian: Contact Experian's security freeze center or call 888-397-3742.
- TransUnion: Visit the TransUnion website or call 888-909-8872.
You'll need to provide your name, address, birthdate, Social Security number, and other personal details, and answer a few questions before creating a PIN. The freeze can be paused or ended when you need to apply for a new line of credit.
Identity theft protection services, such as Aura and Identity Guard, will freeze your accounts on your behalf. They'll also alert you if your personal information is being used to open new accounts or appears on the dark web.
Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent availability.
Plans from $10 to $32 per month, billed annually
Protects against identity theft, fraud, spam calls and websites, viruses and malware. Offers three-credit-bureau monitoring, VPN, dark web monitoring, password manager, email aliases and instant credit lock.
On Aura's site
From $7.50 to $25.00 per month, billed annually on individual plans and $12.50 to $33.33 per month, billed annually on family plans
Up to $1 million in insurance for eligible losses from identity theft
On Identity Guard's site
Most include insurance to help you recoup expenses associated with resolving the problem, including legal assistance and lost wages due to missed work.
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