More than 100 million customers affected by Capital One data breach

A piece of paper with the Capital One logo.
(Image credit: AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

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."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.