Reading Cooperative Bank reports data breach affecting over 24,000 customers

Reading Cooperative Bank (RCB), a Massachusetts-based lender with $1.2 billion in total assets, has disclosed a significant data breach that may have exposed sensitive customer information. According to a filing with the Office of the Maine Attorney General, the breach resulted from a phishing-related cyberattack and has affected 24,041 individuals.

The bank’s investigation revealed that the incident occurred between August 8, 2024, and January 31, 2025. The breach was traced back to an employee clicking on a phishing email from a known sender associated with another organization in the banking sector. The compromised data includes names and other personally identifiable information, though the full scope of the exposure remains under review.

“Since the security incident, we have implemented additional cybersecurity safeguards, and we are working closely with our internal and external experts to further enhance the security of our systems,” RCB stated in its filing.

In response to the breach, the bank has advised affected customers to consider placing a security freeze or fraud alert on their credit files to mitigate potential risks. While RCB has not disclosed whether financial information was accessed, the breach underscores the growing threat of phishing attacks in the financial sector.