Globe Life Faces Extortion Demands After Data Breach

American insurance giant Globe Life is currently facing extortion demands from hackers who managed to steal data on over 5,000 individuals from one of its subsidiaries. The company has alerted federal law enforcement and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) about the cyber incident, and its response is ongoing.

The Texas-based insurer reported a revenue of $5.21 billion last year, with its subsidiary, American Income Life Insurance Company, serving over 4 million policyholders and posting approximately $297 million in life insurance premium sales annually.

The breached data includes sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, names, addresses, and health-related details. However, Globe Life has stated that no credit card or banking information was compromised. The hackers have shared some of the stolen data with short sellers and attorneys, claiming to have additional information that has yet to be confirmed.

This incident comes on the heels of fraud allegations against Globe Life and its subsidiary, American Income Life (AIL). The company had faced accusations of fraudulent sales tactics, framing policies for deceased and fictitious individuals, unauthorized fund withdrawals, unfair dismissals, misleading sales tactics, and illegal kickbacks. Some of AIL’s top agents were even accused of serious crimes such as kidnapping, assault, and child grooming.

In response to the breach, Globe Life has hired cybersecurity experts to investigate the situation and implement corrective measures. The company continues to deal with the evolving situation as it navigates through the aftermath of the cyber incident and the ongoing fraud allegations.