Attorney General Neronha offers information on how to protect yourself following a data breach

Published on Saturday, December 14, 2024

In response to the news of a major cyberattack on the Rhode Island State government, Attorney General Peter F. Neronha wants Rhode Islanders to have the information they need to protect themselves following a data breach. Data breaches can lead to identity theft, which is a serious crime that occurs when someone accesses your personal protected information such as your Social Security number, credit or bank account information or other identifying information without your permission. 

For information about this specific incident, visit RIBridges Alert | RI Department of Administration.

What to know here:

As required by law, affected consumers will receive notice within 30 days of discovery of the breach and the ability to provide the following information to affected consumers:

  • A general and brief description of the incident, including how the security breach occurred and the number of affected individuals;
  • The type of information that was subject to the breach;
  • The date of breach, estimated date of breach, or the date range within which the breach occurred; and
  • The date that the breach was discovered.

If you are (or think you may be) a victim of identity theft, generally:

  • Contact the fraud department of any one of the three major credit bureaus (listed below) and place a fraud alert on your credit file. A fraud alert requests that creditors contact you before opening new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. The alert will last for 90 days.
  • Close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
  • File a police report. Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime.
  • File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at (877) 382-4357.
  • Keep records of all phone calls, reports filed, correspondence, etc., and follow up phone conversations with certified letters to confirm your communication.
  • Check your bank and credit card statements regularly and report any unauthorized charges, no matter how small, to your bank or financial institution.
  • Check your credit report once a year to monitor any changes.

How to protect yourself from being a victim of identity theft, generally:

  • Check your bank and credit card statements regularly and report any unauthorized charges, no matter how small, to your bank or financial institution.
  • Check your credit report once a year to monitor any changes.
  • Don’t carry your social security card in your wallet.
  • Shred all credit card offers, bank and credit card statements, household bills, and all other mail or paperwork that includes personal identifying information before you toss it in the trash.
  • Get a copy of your credit report. Under federal law, you are entitled to one free copy of your credit report every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies. You may obtain a free copy of your credit report by going to www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling (877) 322-8228.
  • Equifax, (800) 525-6285, www.equifax.com
  • Experian, (888) 397-3742, www.experian.com
  • TransUnion, (800) 680-7289, www.transunion.com

You may contact the nationwide credit reporting agencies at:

 

###