The Estée Lauder Companies Data Breach (July 2026): What Was Exposed and What To Do

What to do now

Steps chosen from the information listed in the official filings. Your own letter may list more.

1. Enroll in the free credit monitoring

   The Estée Lauder Companies offered free credit monitoring for 24 months through Kroll. The enrollment deadline is Oct 31, 2026. Use the enrollment code printed in your letter. Never share that code with anyone who contacts you.

   Source: notice letter in the California Attorney General filing of Jul 17, 2026

2. Freeze your credit at all three bureaus

   A credit freeze stops new credit accounts being opened in your name. It is free by law and you can lift it when you need credit: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

3. Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN

   An IP PIN stops someone else filing a tax return with your Social Security number. Get one from the IRS at irs.gov.

4. Contact your bank or credit union

   Review recent transactions, ask about account alerts, and ask whether a new account number is recommended.

5. Review your health insurance statements

   Check the Explanation of Benefits (EOB) statements from your insurer for visits, prescriptions or claims you do not recognize, and contact your insurer about anything unfamiliar.

6. Know how to report passport misuse

   If you think your passport is being misused, or it is lost or stolen, contact the U.S. Department of State.

7. Watch for phishing calls, texts and emails

   Scammers often contact people after a breach, pretending to be the organization, a bank or a government agency. Do not give your Social Security number, passwords or codes to anyone who contacts you first.

8. Check your credit reports

   You can get free credit reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com, the official site.

9. Report identity theft if you see signs of it

   The Federal Trade Commission's IdentityTheft.gov gives you a personal recovery plan.

Is the letter real?

The agency published an official copy of the notice. Compare your letter with it:

• Official copy of the notice letter (California Attorney General, filed Jul 17, 2026)

The notice letter filed with the California Attorney General on Jul 17, 2026 lists this phone number for questions: 1-844-472-8352. If the number in your letter is different, call the number in the official copy instead.

Source: notice letter in the California Attorney General filing of Jul 17, 2026

Never give your Social Security number, bank details or passwords to someone who contacts you first.

Timeline

1. Aug 9, 2025 Incident began (earliest date reported) source
2. Aug 12, 2025 Incident ended (latest date reported) source
3. Jun 19, 2026 Organization discovered the incident source
4. Jul 17, 2026 Notice letters dated source
5. Jul 17, 2026 Reported to Washington AG and California AG source
6. Jul 21, 2026 Reported to Texas AG source

Sources

1. Washington State Attorney General Notice filed Jul 17, 2026
   Filed as “The Estée Lauder Companies” · 2,110 Washington residents
   The link opens the Attorney General's list of notices.
2. California Attorney General Notice filed Jul 17, 2026
   Filed as “The Estée Lauder Companies” · Official copy of the letter
3. Texas Attorney General Notice filed Jul 21, 2026
   Filed as “The Estée Lauder Companies” · 1,959 Texas residents · total 31,859
   The link opens the agency's list; search it for the organization name.

Last updated Oct 20, 2026. Our summaries are written in our own words from the official filings above. Spotted an error? Report a correction.