HARTFORD, Conn. -- Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said that a security breach may have put hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents at risk for identity theft.

Blumenthal said the breach involved People's Bank and The Bank of New York Mellon.

AG Discusses Security Breach

Blumenthal said that the Bank of New York Mellon lost computer tapes that contained the information of more than 4 million customers, including those who do business with People's United Bank of Bridgeport.

The attorney general said the breach involved Social Security numbers, account and other information from consumers across Connecticut and millions nationwide.

The Bank of New York Mellon told Blumenthal that a box with back-up bank tapes were lost in February from a truck that transports and stores tapes in its storage facility.

The bank notified customers of the breach six weeks ago and offered one-year of credit monitoring, but Blumenthal said that is not inadequate.

Blumenthal said the breach happened in February and questioned why the bank delayed informing customers of the breach.

He suggested that customers of People's United Bank scrutinize their bank statements and credit card charges and considering taking a security freeze.

Ron Sommer, a spokesman for the Bank of New York Mellon Corp. in Pittsburgh, said the bank is cooperating with Blumenthal and will not comment beyond that.