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Northwest FCS data systems were
not affected by the Equifax incident.
We do not provide customer-member
information to credit reporting
agencies. We remain committed
to the privacy and security of our
customer-members' information.
You may also want to visit the FTC
website for further information
concerning the Equifax data breach
with helpful tips to protect your
information:
www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2017/0
9/equifax-data-breach-what-do
Protect Yourself After
the Equifax Data breach
In September Equifax, one of the nation's three major credit-reporting agencies, reported a secu-
rity breach. If you have a credit report, it may be likely that you're one of the 143 million American
consumers whose sensitive personal information was exposed in this incident.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, one of the federal agencies charged with protecting
consumers, you can take several steps to protect your information from being misused. Some of
these are outlined below.
•
Visit Equifax's website for more information.
www.equifaxsecurity2017.com
•
Check your credit reports. You can check credit reports from Equi-
fax, Experian and TransUnion for free by visiting annualcreditreport.com.
Accounts or activity you don't recognize could indicate identity theft.
Visit: www.IdentityTheft.gov to find out what to do.
•
Consider placing a credit freeze on your credit report. A credit
freeze makes it harder for someone to open a new account in your name.
Keep in mind that a credit freeze won't prevent a thief from making
charges to your existing accounts. For credit freeze frequently asked
questions visit: www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0497-credit-freeze-faqs
•
Monitor your existing credit card and bank accounts
closely.
Look for charges you don't recognize. Other clues that someone
may have stolen your identity include withdrawals from your bank
account that you can't explain and/or debt collectors calling you about
debts that aren't yours.
•
Consider placing a fraud alert on your credit report. If you
decide against a credit freeze, a fraud alert warns creditors that you may
be a victim of identity theft and they should verify that anyone seeking
credit in your name really is you. For information on placing a fraud alert
visit: www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0497-credit-freeze-faqs
•
File your taxes early. As soon as you have the tax information you
need, file your taxes before a scammer can. Tax identity theft happens
when someone uses your Social Security number to get a tax refund or
a job. Respond right away to letters from the IRS. The IRS never asks
taxpayers for personal information via e-mail, text messages or social
media. For further information and what to do if you receive something
suspicious visit: www.irs.gov/privacy-disclosure/report-phishing
•
Learn more. Visit: www.Identitytheft.gov/databreach to learn more
about protecting yourself after a data breach.
John Whalen • Northwest FCS Director-Information Security
security awareness
!
fall 2017 14