Attorney General Jack Conway and his Office of Consumer Protection are alerting Kentucky consumers about a data breach from Experian and are encouraging Kentuckians to take steps to protect their personal information. Attorney General Conway says consumers should watch for signs of identity theft following the breach.
Earlier this month, a breach of personal data of T-Mobile customers, that was stored on an Experian server, affected approximately 15 million consumers nationwide, including more than 134,000 Kentuckians. The accessed data included names, addresses, Social Security numbers, birth dates and driver’s license numbers of current T-Mobile customers and consumers requiring a credit check for service or device financing from Sept. 1, 2013 through Sept. 16, 2015.
“Becoming a victim of a data breach can be a frustrating and stressful experience,” Attorney General Conway said. “If you have been impacted by this recent cyberattack on Experian, I encourage you to take advantage of the free credit monitoring and identity protection services being offered by the company. Additionally, consumers can always find a step-by-step toolkit designed to assist identity theft victims on my website, www.ag.ky.gov/idtheft. The faster you detect identity theft, the sooner you can report and correct it.”
Experian is sending letters to affected individuals with information about the breach and how to enroll for free credit monitoring. Consumers affected by this breach are encouraged to take advantage of two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft resolution services offered by Experian. Experian is also offering free security freezes on Experian’s credit reports to the affected consumers. To enroll in these services and view other information about the data breach, please visit Experian’s website at: http://www.experian.com/data-breach/t-mobilefacts.html. T-Mobile has also provided information about the data breach on their website: http://www.t-mobile.com/landing/experian-data-breach.html.
Attorney General Conway and his Office of Consumer Protection also recommend the following tips to help keep you safe from identity theft:
- Stay informed by checking Experian’s website for updates about the data breach.
- Take advantage of the free credit monitoring and identity resolution services offered by Experian and consider the free credit freezes on your Experian credit report. Check Experian’s website for information.
- Consider placing a free “fraud alert” on your credit reports. Fraud alerts notify businesses that check your credit reports that they should verify identity before issuing credit in your name. You can sign up by contacting any major credit bureau: Equifax, 1-800-525-6285, www.equifax.com; TransUnion, 1-800-680-7289, www.transunion.com; Experian, 1-888-397-3742, www.experian.com.
- Check your credit report for accounts you do not recognize or that have been placed in collection without your knowledge.
- Monitor your credit and bank accounts for unauthorized transactions. Contact your financial institution immediately if you find such transactions.
- Beware of “phishing” calls and emails from callers and websites urging you to give up personal information. Do not provide your social security number, credit card or other personal information in response to unsolicited emails or calls.
