More than 3,700 individuals may have had their personal information exposed as a result of a data breach at the UNC School of Medicine.
The university announced the breach on Tuesday, following a “lengthy and extensive review conducted by a leading independent forensic firm” found that “an unauthorized third party gained access to several email accounts” from May 17, 2018 to June 18, 2018. The access was gained through a cyber phishing incident, officials said. Phishing occurs when a third party attempts to retrieve sensitive information by imitating a trusted source.
A release from the UNC School of Medicine said the information exposed “may have included patients’ names, dates of birth, demographic data such as addresses, health insurance information, health information, Social Security numbers, financial account information and credit card information.”
Medical records or patient care systems maintained by UNC Health Care were not affected by the breach, according to Tuesday’s release.
UNC began mailing notification letters on Tuesday to patients whose information was in the affected accounts, although “we have no indication that any information has been misused.”
UNC is offering credit monitoring and identity protection services to those individuals who may have had their Social Security number exposed.
“We recommend affected patients review the statements they receive from their health care providers and health insurer. If a patient sees services they did not receive, please contact the provider or insurer immediately.”
Officials said the medical school “takes its obligation to protect patient privacy very seriously and we are sorry that this incident occurred.”
Anyone who believes they might be affected but does not receive a letter before December 15 is asked to call 1-833-935-1367 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Related Stories
‹

Retired UNC Professor Goes Missing During Swimming CompetitionRace organizers issued a statement from the family of van der Horst: “The family of Charles Van Der Horst of Chapel Hill, NC is deeply saddened to confirm the loss of our beloved Charlie. He was participating in several stages of the 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim when he went under at the finish […]

Durham Tech Partners With UNC to Launch New Anesthesia Technology ProgramDurham Tech is partnering with the UNC School of Medicine and UNC Health Care to launch a new Anesthesia Technology program. It will be the only one of its kind in the state, and is expected be part of the 11 approved programs across the country. “We’re very excited about this collaboration,” said Durham Tech […]
![]()
Bond Proposal Could Bring New School of Medicine Facility to UNCThe UNC School of Medicine is introducing new curriculum and could be moving into a new facility. This was part of a presentation from Dr. Julie Byerley, vice dean for education and chief education officer at the school. She laid out curriculum changes to the Board of Trustees at its meeting on Thursday. Byerley said […]
![]()
Accidental Alarm Registration; "Better Back Care"; August Pet AdoptionIf you're in Chapel Hill and you haven't registered your alarm yet, now is the time to do it.
![]()
Officials Probing Data Breach At UNC-Chapel HillThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is investigating a personal information data breach that affects more than 6,000 people.

2025 MLB Draft Tracker: See Where the Diamond Heels are Headed in the ProsThe 2025 Major League Baseball Draft saw several Diamond Heels get selected. It continues a run of excellence for the UNC baseball program, which has had at least one player selected in every draft since 1978. The first Diamond Heel off the board was catcher Luke Stevenson, who went to the Seattle Mariners with the No. 35 […]

Chansky's Notebook: The SecondBill Chamberlain, who died recently at age 75, was the second African-American scholarship player under UNC head coach Dean Smith.

UNC Outfielder Kane Kepley Selected by Chicago Cubs in 2nd Round of MLB DraftKane Kepley is headed to the Show. The Chicago Cubs selected Kepley with in the second round with the No. 56 overall pick of the 2025 MLB Draft Sunday evening in Atlanta. About to be 𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍 𝐊𝐀𝐍𝐄 in the Windy City! Kep is a Cub 🦁🐻#ProHeels pic.twitter.com/IsjxlBfnaa — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) July 14, 2025 Kepley […]

UNC's Luke Stevenson Selected by Seattle Mariners in 1st Round of MLB DraftThe Seattle Mariners selected UNC catcher Luke Stevenson with the No. 35 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft Sunday. Call him 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 😤 Going to be rainin homers up there soon! #ProHeels | #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/YfpM9r2FjJ — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) July 14, 2025 Stevenson, a draft-eligible sophomore, […]

UNC Women's Sports Programs Win 2024-25 Capital One CupUNC has been named the winner of the 2024-25 Capital One Cup, awarded annually to the most successful women’s athletic program of the season. The winner is determined by accumulating points in a combination of NCAA championship wins and major poll finishes. Four women’s sports programs at UNC – field hockey, soccer, lacrosse and tennis […]
›
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines