The U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) on Monday announced the unsealing of a settlement with Citigroup Inc. to protect the personal information of nearly 150,000 consumers in 85 jurisdictions around the country. Citi agreed to redact proofs of claim filed in bankruptcy cases nationwide in which the personal information of consumer debtors and third parties, including Social Security numbers and birthdates, had not been properly redacted as required by the bankruptcy rules. Citi also agreed to notify all affected consumers and offer them one year of free credit monitoring. An independent auditor appointed under the settlement is reviewing the accuracy of the correction process. The settlement, approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York on March 13, 2012, had been sealed to prevent potential wrongdoers from learning of the breach and victimizing the affected consumers. On July 11, 2013, the bankruptcy court granted the parties’ motion to unseal the proceedings. Click here to read the USTP release.
