Apollo Global Management Hit by Social Engineering Attack and Data Breach

Apollo Global Management disclosed Friday (Aug. 21) that it suffered a social engineering attack that led to a data breach.

Apollo determined in an investigation that there was unauthorized access to some of its cloud platforms between July 6 and July 10 and that the information that may have been impacted by the incident includes names, dates of birth, contact information, home addresses and Social Security numbers, according to a submitted breach notification sample dated Aug. 21 and posted by the California Department of Justice.

The company has no evidence that the information has been publicly posted or used for identity theft or fraud. The investigation is ongoing, according to the letter.

“Similar to other financial services firms, Apollo recently experienced a social engineering incident,” Matthew Breitfelder, global head of human capital at Apollo, said in the letter. “Upon detecting the incident, we promptly notified law enforcement, engaged leading outside cybersecurity and forensic experts, enhanced our security protocols and launched an investigation.”

Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) said in an Aug. 6 blog post that there is a voice phishing (vishing) campaign targeting financial services, private equity and professional services firms. The campaign pursues compromises that lead to data theft extortion.

GTIG and Mandiant, another Google cybersecurity organization, said in June that data theft extortion groups are targeting professional, legal and financial services organizations by impersonating IT support.

The FBI reported in May that it has seen a group called Silent Ransom Group (SRG) conduct data theft and extortion operations since at least 2022 and pose as IT department employees since spring 2026. These operations consistently target based law firms based in the United States as well as companies in the insurance, finance and healthcare industries, the FBI said.

The PYMNTS Intelligence report “2025 State of Fraud and Financial Crime in the United States” found in December that financial institutions face fraud that is increasingly sophisticated, adaptive and evolving.

“Fraud remains a moving target, driven by the continual interplay between fraudsters and financial institutions,” the report said. “As fraudsters refine tactics to exploit emerging vulnerabilities, institutions adapt their defenses through new technologies, analytics and operational strategies.”