CenterPoint Energy Data Breach: What Customers Should Do

TL;DR: CenterPoint Energy, a Houston-based utility serving about 7 million customers across Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Texas, confirmed that customer data was stolen in a cyberattack. The attacker claims 7.49 million records, including names, phone numbers, addresses, account numbers, billing amounts and partial Social Security numbers. Expect fake utility bill and shut-off scams.

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BleepingComputer reported that CenterPoint Energy disclosed a breach affecting some customers' personal information after an attacker leaked data allegedly stolen from the company. The details below come from the attacker's claims as reported, so the true scope may differ.

What the attacker says was taken

Names, phone numbers, and service and billing addresses.
Account numbers and billing amounts.
Partial Social Security numbers.
About 7.49 million records in total.

Why utility data is useful to scammers

A caller who knows your account number, your address and roughly what you pay each month sounds like the real utility. The classic follow-up is a threat to cut off service unless you pay immediately by gift card, wire or crypto. The same pressure playbook appears in the EZ Pass unpaid toll text scam.

What to do if you are a CenterPoint customer

Do not pay anyone who calls or texts about a past-due balance. Log in to your account or call the number on your bill.
Consider a credit freeze if a notice says partial SSN data was involved. See re-securing your identity after a scam for the steps.
Check whether your email appears on a US breach list, since reused passwords make breaches worse.
Read what a data breach actually exposes to understand which data types carry the most risk.

Another U.S. system breached the same week is covered in our Florida DMV breach explainer.

FAQs

Was my CenterPoint data stolen?

CenterPoint has confirmed some customers' information was compromised. Wait for an official notice and verify it through your online account rather than through links in a message.

Will CenterPoint call me about a bill after the breach?

Be careful with any call demanding immediate payment. Hang up and contact the utility using the number on your bill.

Do partial SSNs matter?

They can help scammers pass identity checks when combined with other details. A credit freeze is a low-cost way to reduce the risk.

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