AG Jepsen sends letter to Target requesting more
information on nationwide breach
For immediate
release
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2013
HARTFORD – Attorney General George Jepsen and state
Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner William M. Rubenstein today
warned Connecticut consumers to take necessary precautions following news of a
major data breach at Target stores across the country.
“We
are only beginning to understand the implications of this massive, nationwide
data breach and the impact it will have on Connecticut consumers,” said Attorney
General Jepsen. “Today, I have sent a letter to Target requesting information on
this breach, and we will be working to ensure that consumers receive all the
protections to which they are entitled in the wake of this breach. In the
meantime, consumers should take immediate steps to ensure their personal
accounts are secure and report any suspicious or unauthorized activity
immediately.”
“If
you can check your debit card transactions and credit card transactions online,
go ahead and do so today,” said Commissioner Rubenstein. “If you can change your
pin numbers for your cards, do so now. With so much shopping and spending going
on this time of year, consumers should be extra vigilant. Keep all receipts,
check them, and scrutinize your credit statements and bank statements when they
arrive during December and January.”
Those who suspect there has been unauthorized activity on
their cards should report it to their credit card companies and call Target at
866-852-8680.
Customers who swiped a debit card or credit card at a Target
store between November 29th and December 15th should be vigilant, and watch for
bank and credit statements that come in for the time period between November
27th and December 15th.
If anything seems suspicious or you can’t identify it,
contact your financial institution immediately to report it. Indicate that you
may be a victim of the Target identity theft and you have identified suspicious
activity on your account. The financial institution will guide you through your
next steps to track the transaction, recover the funds if appropriate, and
protect your account. Report it to Target as well, either at the number above,
or at any new address that the company provides.
Attorney General Jepsen and Commissioner Rubenstein also
provided the following consumer tips:
·
Target data breach victims will want to make sure their
credit history is not damaged as a result of thieves using their credit cards.
They may need to place an initial fraud alert on their credit report. The
initial fraud alert lasts for 90 days. Call any one of the three credit bureaus
to place this alert.
o Equifax – Phone:
1-800-525-6285
o Experian – Phone:
1-888-397-3742
o Transunion – Phone:
1-800-680-7289
·
Victims may also want to check their credit reports.
Contact all three credit reporting companies above for a copy of their current
credit report. If a consumer’s identity was actually stolen, the companies must
provide a free report. If they are not sure if their identity was compromised,
they may go to the Web site www.annualcreditreport.com and get one free copy of their
report from each company if they haven’t already done so in the last 12 months.
They can also call toll-free to request reports at 1-877-322-8228
·
Victims should submit a complaint to the FTC online or by
telephone.
o
By phone: Call 1-877-438-4338 and talk to a counselor at
the FTC. The counselor will ask questions to gather information about your
complaint. Ask the counselor to email you a link so you can print your
complaint; print your Identity Theft Affidavit and keep it in a safe place.
o
Go to www.ftc.gov/complaint to
create your Identity Theft Affidavit. Print your Identity Theft Affidavit and
keep it in a safe place.
·
Victims should file a police report. Take your FTC Identity
Theft Affidavit with you to the police station. Get a copy of the police report
or the number of the police report.
·
Victims should set up a file folder to safely store:
1. Your ID Theft
Affidavit and police report
2. Emails or letters
that you send or get
3. A record of calls
that you make or get
·
After filing a report, keep records of the letters you send
or get and the conversations you have. You might need the records to prove that
you already fixed something.
o
Save copies of your papers, receipts, and account
statements.
o
Keep a list of the companies you called and when you called
them. Write the name of the person you spoke with, what you asked them to do,
and what they agreed to do.
Target confirmed today that as many as 40 million customers'
names, credit and debit card numbers, expiration dates, PIN numbers and security
codes on the back of the cards were compromised at its stores across the country
between November 27th and December 15th.
The company says credit card numbers used on its Web site
were not affected, and that it is working with law enforcement officials and
financial institutions.
Assistant Attorney General Michele Lucan, a member of the
Attorney General’s Privacy Task Force, and Assistant Attorney General Matthew
Fitzsimmons, head of the Task Force, are assisting the Attorney General with
this matter.
###
Media Contacts:
Office of the Attorney General:
Jaclyn M. Falkowski
860-808-5324 (office)
860-655-3903 (cell)
Department of Consumer Protection:
Claudette Carveth
860-713-6022 (office)
The Wallingford Fire Department requests the assistance of citizens to help clear hydrants. Access to hydrants is critical to the safety of the community. 
