Almeida Law Group is investigating a data breach at POLAM Federal Credit Union. The breach occurred on May 20th, 2025. If you were affected, contact Almeida Law Group.
About POLAM Federal Credit Union
POLAM Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profit credit union founded in 1969 that serves the Polish-American and Slavic-American community in Southern California. It is headquartered at 589 N. Larchmont Blvd in Los Angeles, with an additional office in Orange, California. As of early 2026, the credit union had approximately 2,104 members and $73.4 million in total assets. It is federally insured by the NCUA.
What Happened?
POLAM Federal Credit Union was listed in a California Attorney General sample breach notice filed on August 21st, 2026. According to that filing and the accompanying breach notice letter, a former employee potentially accessed and/or exfiltrated a limited amount of documents without authorization on or about May 20th, 2025. This was an insider threat incident, not a ransomware or external cyberattack.
Following a forensic investigation and extensive manual document review, POLAM FCU discovered on August 10th, 2026, that the potentially accessed files contained members’ personal information, including full names and additional data types. The specific additional data types beyond full name were redacted from the publicly available notice letter and cannot be determined from available sources. The roughly 14.5-month gap between the incident and the identification of affected personal information is notable; the notice explains that the delay was due to the forensic investigation and manual document review process.
Separately, POLAM FCU is the plaintiff in an active lawsuit against its core processor, Fiserv Solutions, LLC (Case No. 2:2026-cv-02352, C.D. Cal., filed March 5th, 2026), alleging breach of contract, fraud, unfair competition, and trade secret violations related to cybersecurity deficiencies. A federal judge denied Fiserv’s motion to dismiss on June 18th, 2026, allowing all claims to proceed. That litigation concerns alleged vendor security failures and is not directly connected to this former-employee incident.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Company or Organization: POLAM Federal Credit Union
- Industry: Financial Services — Credit Union
- Location: 589 N. Larchmont Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90004; additional office in Orange, CA
- Incident type: Unauthorized access and/or exfiltration by a former employee (insider threat)
- Date of breach: May 20th, 2025
- Date breach discovered: August 10th, 2026
- Date of consumer notification: August 21st, 2026
- Identity theft protection offered: Single Bureau Credit Monitoring, Credit Report, and Credit Score services through Cyberscout (a TransUnion company), plus proactive fraud assistance
- Prior breach: No prior data breaches involving member personal information found in public records; POLAM FCU is the plaintiff in an active lawsuit against Fiserv Solutions (Case No. 2:2026-cv-02352, C.D. Cal.) alleging cybersecurity deficiencies by its core processor
- Source: California Attorney General sample breach notice; breach notice letter; PYMNTS.com; Credit Union Daily
What Should You Do?
If you received a notice from POLAM Federal Credit Union, enroll in the complimentary credit monitoring and fraud assistance services offered through Cyberscout as soon as possible. Even if you choose not to enroll, consider placing a free fraud alert with one of the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion — which will prompt creditors to verify your identity before opening new accounts in your name. For stronger protection, you may request a free security freeze at all three bureaus, which prevents new credit from being opened without your explicit authorization. Review your financial account statements and credit reports carefully and regularly for any unfamiliar or suspicious activity. You can obtain a free annual credit report from each bureau at AnnualCreditReport.com. If you believe you have already been affected by fraud or identity theft, visit IdentityTheft.gov for step-by-step guidance on what to do next.
Your Legal Rights
If your personal information was involved in this breach, you may have legal rights depending on the facts of the incident and the law in your state. Almeida Law Group represents consumers in data breach and privacy litigation and can help you evaluate whether you may have a claim. Contact us at (708) 529-5418 or through our contact page for a free case evaluation.
