2026-11-09
SMBC Consumer Finance loan guarantee system breach (up to 320,118 people): driver's license numbers, employer details and income leaked — what bank card loan customers should do
On November 5, 2026, SMBC Consumer Finance Co., Ltd. announced that a third party had gained unauthorized access to the system it uses for its loan guarantee business and that data had been sent out of the system. It detected the access on November 2, cut off access to the system the same day, and confirmed the leak while investigating further. Up to 320,118 people are affected. The company guarantees card loans issued by regional banks, credit unions (shinkin banks) and internet banks, so those affected are likely mainly people who borrowed a card loan from such an institution with this company as guarantor (the company does not define who is affected). The leaked information is name, sex, date of birth, address, home phone number, mobile phone number, email address, driver's license number, employer information (phone number, income and so on) and contract information (financial institution code, customer number, guaranteed amount, guarantee start date and so on). Images of identity documents such as driver's licenses are not included. After it pins down the scope, the company plans to notify affected people individually by email, SMS and similar means, in consultation with its partner institutions; no timing is given. A toll-free number was added on November 6. As of November 9, 2026, we found no follow-up notice. This site's view: a call, email or text claiming to be from your lender or guarantor is not genuine just because it knows your license number or income.