Prestigious auction Sotheby’s reports user data theft

The art and jewellery brokering behemoth has issued a data breach notice, indicating unauthorized access to personal user information.

The company’s New York office started reaching out to individuals who may have had unknown parties access their data. According to Sotheby’s, the company noticed that “certain data” was removed from its systems by an “unknown actor” in late July.

After noticing what appears to be a data breach, the company launched an investigation with the help of third-party specialists. The subsequent inquiry ended on September 24th, exactly two months after the issue was first noticed.

Sotheby's data breach notice, issued specifically to Maine residents, indicates that users’ names, Social Security numbers, and financial account information were accessed. However, the breach notice indicates that only two Maine residents were impacted.

Meanwhile, the general data breach notice doesn’t specify how many people had their details exposed in total. The company opted not to disclose the information with the Maine Attorney General’s Office. However, since a separate data breach notice was issued for Maine residents specifically, more than two individuals were exposed.

We’ve reached out to the company for comment and will update the article once we receive a reply.

Meanwhile, the company’s data breach notice points to a hacker attack, as the company says it has “notified and worked with federal law enforcement and is notifying relevant regulatory authorities.”

“We encourage you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing your account statements and monitoring your free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors,” Sotheby’s data breach notice reads.

To assist potentially impacted customers, the auction said it will provide complimentary access to credit monitoring and identity protection services.

Sotheby’s is one of the world’s largest collectibles, art, and jewellery brokers with numerous locations throughout the globe. Owned by billionaire Patrick Draghi, the company reported a revenue exceeding $813 million last year, with sales reaching $6 billion.

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