Handi Plus Operator Confirms Data Breach Impacting Over 377,000 Individuals

Gulshan Management Services, Inc., the Texas-based operator of more than 150 gas stations and convenience stores under the Handi Plus and Handi Stop brands, has confirmed a massive data breach affecting 377,419 individuals.

The incident was revealed through regulatory filings with the Maine and Texas Attorney General offices, highlighting a significant security failure within the company’s digital infrastructure. According to the disclosures, unauthorized attackers gained access to an external system between September 17 and September 27, 2025. Although the breach was discovered on the day it concluded, the full scope of the exposure suggests that the intruders operated undetected for at least ten days.

The breadth of the compromised data has raised severe concerns regarding identity theft and financial fraud. While the Maine filing initially identified names and personal identifiers, a more detailed report submitted to the Texas Attorney General indicates a much deeper exposure. The stolen data reportedly includes Social Security numbers, driver’s license and government ID numbers, home addresses, and sensitive financial information such as bank account and credit or debit card details. This specific combination of data provides bad actors with the necessary tools to commit sophisticated financial crimes or assume the identities of the victims.

Despite the breach occurring in late September, the company did not begin notifying affected consumers until January 5, 2026. This more than three-month delay between discovery and disclosure has drawn sharp criticism from cybersecurity advocates and legal experts. While Gulshan Management Services has begun sending written notices to those impacted, public filings have yet to clarify whether the company is providing essential support services, such as credit monitoring or identity restoration, to the hundreds of thousands of individuals now at risk.

In the wake of the announcement, the company is already facing mounting legal pressure. Multiple class action lawsuits and formal investigations have been launched, alleging that management failed to implement reasonable security measures to protect sensitive data and exacerbated the situation by waiting too long to alert the public. Gulshan’s extensive network of convenience stores necessitates the management of vast quantities of employee, vendor, and consumer data, making its interconnected systems a high-value target for cybercriminals who often exploit organizations with limited security oversight.

Security professionals are advising anyone who receives a notification letter to take immediate defensive action. Recommended steps include monitoring bank and credit card statements for unauthorized activity and alerting financial institutions to block suspicious transactions. Furthermore, victims are warned to be hyper-vigilant against phishing attempts, as hackers frequently use stolen personal details to pose as authorities in "follow-up" calls or emails designed to extract even more sensitive information.