|
About
Information Security Breaches
In
January 2008, the Maryland Personal Information Protection Act
(PIPA) went into effect. The law requires any business that
keeps electronic records containing the personal identifying
information of Maryland residents to notify those residents if
their information is compromised. A security breach can occur
when a company’s website is hacked, a computer is stolen,
or data tapes are lost in the mail. Notifying consumers of the
breach will allow them to protect themselves from fraud and identity
theft that may result from someone obtaining their personal information.
Consumers:
What to do if you receive a security breach notification in the
mail:
1.
Place a fraud alert on your credit report. Call one
of the three credit reporting agencies to place a fraud alert
on your
credit report, and request a free copy of your credit report. A
fraud alert lasts 90 days, after which you can renew it by calling
the Credit Reporting Agency again. Once you place the fraud alert
with one of the three agencies, they will alert the other two.
Equifax: |
Experian: |
TransUnion: |
1-888-766-0008 |
1-888-397-3742 |
1-800-680-7289 |
2.
Monitor your credit report. In Maryland, state and
federal laws allow you to view your credit report for free
twice per year,
from each of the three credit reporting agencies, for a total of
six. This means you can view your credit report every two months
to look for anything out of the ordinary. If you find accounts
that you did not open, or collection notices for charges you did
not incur, you may be a victim of fraud. The best way to catch
identity theft early is to frequently view your credit report.
Get your free credit report through the federal Fair Credit Reporting
Act by going to www.annualcreditreport.com,
or calling 1-877-322-8228. To access your free credit report
through the Maryland state
law, you must contact each of the agencies individually:
Equifax:
|
Experian:
|
TransUnion:
|
|
|
|
|
3. If your bank or credit card information is compromised, immediately
call your bank or credit card issuer and change your account numbers. Ask that they
send you new cards with new numbers.
4.
Place a “freeze” on your credit report.
A “Security
Freeze” or “Credit Freeze” completely blocks
the information on your credit report from would-be creditors.
A credit freeze can help prevent identity theft. Most businesses
will not open credit accounts without first checking a consumer's
credit history. If your credit files are frozen, even someone who
has your name and Social Security number might not be able to get
credit in your name. Maryland law prohibits credit reporting agencies
charging more than $5 per credit freeze. Anyone who is a victim
of identity theft will be able to freeze their credit reports for
free.
While a credit freeze can provide important protection against identity theft,
a credit freeze may not be for everyone. If you plan to open credit in the
near future, or apply for an apartment or a job that will require your credit
report to be checked, you will need to pay $5 each time you want to temporarily
lift the freeze. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact
the Identity Theft Unit at (410) 576-6574.
To
place a security freeze, send a request to
each of the three Credit Reporting Agencies. See
sample letters to each of the three Credit Reporting Agencies for
your reference below. You will need to include your personal information,
and if you are a victim of identity theft, you will need to include
a copy of your police report as proof.
Equifax Security Freeze
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348
Sample Equifax
Security Freeze letter |
Experian Security Freeze
P. O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
Sample
Experian Security Freeze letter |
Trans Union Security Freeze
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
Sample
Trans Union Security Freeze letter |
- Full name, address, Social Security number, and
date of birth.
- A copy of your police report, or other investigative
report filed with law enforcement, if you are an ID theft
victim
to be eligible for a free freeze.
- If you have moved in
the past two years or had a name change, you should provide
that prior address or name so you can
be properly identified.
|
- Full name, address, Social Security number, and
date of birth.
- A copy of your police report, or other investigative
report filed with law enforcement, if you are an ID theft
victim
to be eligible for a free freeze.
- If you have moved or
had a name change in the past five years, prior addresses
and proof of prior names are also required.
- a copy of a
government issued ID card
- a copy of a bank statement or
utility bill containing your current address
|
- Full name, address, Social Security number, and
date of birth.
- A copy of your police report, or other investigative
report filed with law enforcement, if you are an ID theft
victim
to be eligible for a free freeze.
- If you have moved in
the past five years, supply addresses for past five years.
- A
copy of a government issued ID card
|
https://www.freeze.equifax.
com/Freeze/ |
www.experian.com/freeze |
https://annualcreditreport.
transunion.com/fa/securityFreeze/
landing |
| 1-800-685-1111 |
1-888-397-3742 |
1-888-909-8872 |
You
can also find more information about each Credit Reporting Agency's
freeze program at their Web sites:
Businesses:
Guidelines for security breach notifications
|
