Private Client Services, LLC (“PCS”) suffered a data breach after an unauthorized party gained access to sensitive consumer information through a compromised employee email account. The compromised information included the names, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and state identification numbers of about 22,554 individuals. PCS investigated the incident and notified the impacted individuals.

The Maine Office of the Attorney General disclosed a data breach at Private Client Services, LLC (PCS) on May 27, 2022, stemming from unauthorized access to an employee’s email account between November 4 and November 18, 2021. The incident was detected on April 25, 2022, exposing sensitive personal data of 22,554 individuals, including 19 Maine residents. The compromised information included names, Social Security numbers (SSNs), and driver’s license numbers—highly sensitive identifiers that elevate risks of identity theft, financial fraud, and long-term reputational harm for affected individuals. The breach originated from a phishing or credential-compromise attack, targeting an employee’s account, which granted threat actors prolonged access to confidential records. While the breach did not involve ransomware or systemic operational disruption, the exposure of SSNs and government-issued IDs classifies it as a high-severity incident due to the irreversible nature of such data leaks and the potential for downstream criminal exploitation. The company likely faced regulatory scrutiny, legal liabilities, and erosion of client trust, particularly given the scale of affected records.