PHOENIX — More than 1.3 million people connected to Arizona’s court debt collection system may have had personal information exposed in a phishing breach of the state court network, officials said, as the FBI continues to investigate.
Chief Justice Ann Timmer’s office said the intrusion began when a court employee clicked a malicious link. Court IT staff contained the incident within about two hours, but investigators believe attackers may still have copied records tied to the Fines/Fees and Restitution Enforcement (FARE) program — including names, case numbers and Social Security numbers.
The Judicial Branch is urging people who may be affected to place credit freezes with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Officials said text alerts are going out to FARE participants, and they have no evidence the stolen files have been posted or sold. Because of how the data was stored, they also say it is unclear how easily much of it can be read.
Separately, the breach touched more than 150,000 confidential Foster Care Review Board reports dating to 2010. The court says it notified the Department of Child Safety, juvenile judges and attorneys in dependency cases; some parent advocates say families still have not been contacted directly.
Protective-order petitioners have also reported warning emails about possible exposure. Court leaders stress case dockets themselves remain intact, but privacy advocates warn identity theft and safety risks can linger long after a technical containment.