Notice of Data Breach

The privacy and security of the personal information Patelco maintains is of the utmost importance to us. This notice provides information regarding a ransomware attack that may have involved personal information belonging to current and former Patelco members and employees, and it advises you of the services we will be making available to individuals.

 
What Happened?
 
On June 29, 2024, Patelco Credit Union detected a ransomware attack that involved unauthorized access to some of our databases.
 
What We Are Doing
 
Upon learning of this issue, we contained the threat by proactively disabling all unauthorized access to our network, restoring all data, and immediately commencing a prompt and thorough investigation. We also notified law enforcement. As part of our investigation, we worked very closely with external cybersecurity professionals experienced in handling these types of incidents. The investigation revealed that an unauthorized party gained access to our network on May 23, 2024, leading to access to the databases on June 29, 2024.
 
Following the investigation and a thorough review of the data involved, we confirmed on August 14, 2024, that the accessed databases contained your personal information. Although the investigation identified unauthorized access to some of our databases, the specific data that was accessed has not been determined. Accordingly, we are notifying individuals whose information was in those databases.
 
What Information Was Involved?
 
The information in the accessed databases included first and last name with Social Security number, Driver’s License number, date of birth, and/or email address. Not every data element was present for every individual.
 
What You Can Do
 
To help protect your information, we are offering a complimentary two-year membership of Experian IdentityWorks^SM Credit 3B. This product helps detect possible misuse of your personal information and provides you with identity protection services focused on immediate identification and resolution of identity theft. IdentityWorks Credit 3B is completely free to you, and enrolling in this program will not hurt your credit score. For more information on identity theft prevention and IdentityWorks Credit 3B, including instructions on how to activate your complimentary membership, please see the additional information provided in this letter.
 
Please review the “Important Information” section below for other precautionary measures you can take to protect your personal information, including placing a Fraud Alert and Security Freeze on your credit files, and obtaining a free credit report. Additionally, you should always remain vigilant in reviewing your financial account statements and credit reports for irregular activity over the next twelve to twenty-four months. If you see charges or activity that you do not recognize, please contact the relevant financial institution immediately.
 
For More Information
 
Please accept our apologies that this incident occurred. We are committed to maintaining the privacy of personal information in our possession and have taken many precautions to safeguard it. We continually evaluate and modify our practices and internal controls to enhance the security and privacy of personal information.
 
If you have any further questions regarding this incident, please call our dedicated and confidential toll-free response line that we have set up to respond to questions at 833.251.9595 (weekdays 6am – 7pm, hours subject to change). This response line is staffed with professionals familiar with this incident and knowledgeable on what you can do to protect against misuse of your information.
 
Sincerely,
Patelco Credit Union

 

1. Enrolling in Complimentary 24-Month Credit Monitoring

 
To help protect your identity, we are offering complimentary access to Experian IdentityWorks ^SM for 24 months.
 
If you believe there was fraudulent use of your information as a result of this incident and would like to discuss how you may be able to resolve those issues, please reach out to an Experian agent. If, after discussing your situation with an agent, it is determined that identity restoration support is needed, then an Experian Identity Restoration agent is available to work with you to investigate and resolve each incident of fraud that occurred from the date of the incident (including, as appropriate, helping you with contacting credit grantors to dispute charges and close accounts; assisting you in placing a freeze on your credit file with the three major credit bureaus; and assisting you with contacting government agencies to help restore your identity to its proper condition).
 
Please note that Identity Restoration is available to you for 24 months from the date of this letter and does not require any action on your part at this time. The Terms and Conditions for this offer are located at www.ExperianIDWorks.com/restoration.
 
While identity restoration assistance is immediately available to you, we also encourage you to activate the fraud detection tools available through Experian IdentityWorks as a complimentary 24-month membership. This product provides you with superior identity detection and resolution of identity theft. To start monitoring your personal information, please follow the steps below:

• Ensure that you enroll by 11/19/2024 (Your code will not work after this date.)
• Visit the Experian IdentityWorks website to enroll: www.experianidworks.com/3bcredit
• Provide your activation code: XF46RZDG

 
If you have questions about the product, need assistance with Identity Restoration that arose as a result of this incident or would like an alternative to enrolling in Experian IdentityWorks online, please contact Experian’s customer care team at (833) 931-5953 by 11/19/2024. Be prepared to provide engagement number B129983 as proof of eligibility for the Identity Restoration services by Experian.
 

 
A credit card is not required for enrollment in Experian IdentityWorks. You can contact Experian immediately regarding any fraud issues, and have access to the following features once you enroll in Experian IdentityWorks:

• Experian credit report at signup: See what information is associated with your credit file. Daily credit reports are available for online members only. ^*
• Credit Monitoring: Actively monitors Experian, Equifax and Transunion files for indicators of fraud.
• Identity Restoration: Identity Restoration specialists are immediately available to help you address credit and non-credit related fraud.
• Experian IdentityWorks ExtendCARE ^TM: You receive the same high-level of Identity Restoration support even after your Experian IdentityWorks membership has expired.
• $1 Million Identity Theft Insurance ^**: Provides coverage for certain costs and unauthorized electronic fund transfers

 
^* Offline members will be eligible to call for additional reports quarterly after enrolling.

^** The Identity Theft Insurance is underwritten and administered by American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida, an Assurant company. Please refer to the actual policies for terms, conditions, and exclusions of coverage. Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions.

2. Enrolling your Minor in Complimentary 24-Month Credit Monitoring

 
To help protect your identity, we are offering complimentary access to Experian IdentityWorks ^SM for 24 months.
 
If you believe there was fraudulent use of your minor dependent’s information as a result of this incident and would like to discuss how you may be able to resolve those issues, please reach out to an Experian agent. If, after discussing your situation with an agent, it is determined that identity restoration support is needed then an Experian Identity Restoration agent is available to work with you to investigate and resolve each incident of fraud that occurred from the date of the incident (including, as appropriate, helping you with contacting credit grantors to dispute charges and close accounts; assisting you in placing a freeze on your credit file with the three major credit bureaus; and assisting you with contacting government agencies to help restore your identity to its proper condition).
 
Please note that Identity Restoration is available to you for 24 months from the date of this letter and does not require any action on your part at this time. The Terms and Conditions for this offer are located at www.ExperianIDWorks.com/restoration/. 
 
While identity restoration assistance is immediately available to you, we also encourage you to activate the fraud detection tools available through Experian IdentityWorks as a complimentary 24-month membership. This product provides you with superior identity detection and resolution of identity theft. To start monitoring your minor dependent’s personal information, please follow the steps below: 

• Ensure that you enroll by 11/19/2024 (Your code will not work after this date.)
• Visit the Experian IdentityWorks website to enroll: www.experianidworks.com/minorplus
• Provide your activation code: PXMT732RXA 
• Provide your minor’s information when prompted

 
If you have questions about the product, need assistance with Identity Restoration that arose as a result of this incident or would like an alternative to enrolling in Experian IdentityWorks online, please contact Experian’s customer care team at 1-877-288-8057 by 11/19/2024. Be prepared to provide engagement number B130129 as proof of eligibility for the Identity Restoration services by Experian.
 

 
A credit card is not required for enrollment in Experian IdentityWorks. You can contact Experian immediately regarding any fraud issues, and have access to the following features once you enroll in Experian IdentityWorks:

• Social Security Number Trace: Monitoring to determine whether enrolled minors in your household have an Experian credit report.  Alerts of all names, aliases and addresses that become associated with your minor’s Social Security Number (SSN) on the Experian credit report. 
• Internet Surveillance: Technology searches the web, chat rooms & bulletin boards 24/7 to identify trading or selling of your personal information on the Dark Web.
• Identity Restoration: Identity Restoration specialists are immediately available to help you address credit and non-credit related fraud.
• Experian IdentityWorks ExtendCARE ^TM: You receive the same high-level of Identity Restoration support even after your Experian IdentityWorks membership has expired.
• $1 Million Identity Theft Insurance ^**: Provides coverage for certain costs and unauthorized electronic fund transfers

 
^** The Identity Theft Insurance is underwritten and administered by American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida, an Assurant company. Please refer to the actual policies for terms, conditions, and exclusions of coverage. Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions.

3. Placing a Fraud Alert on Your Credit File
Whether or not you choose to use the complimentary 24-month credit monitoring services, you may place an initial one-year “fraud alert” on your credit files, at no charge. A fraud alert tells creditors to contact you personally before they open any new accounts. To place a fraud alert, call any one of the three major credit bureaus at the numbers listed below. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, they will notify the others.

4. Placing a Security Freeze on Your Credit File
If you are very concerned about becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft, you may request a “security freeze” be placed on your credit file, at no charge. A security freeze prohibits, with certain specific exceptions, the consumer reporting agencies from releasing your credit report or any information from it without your express authorization. You may place a security freeze on your credit report by contacting all three nationwide credit reporting companies at the numbers below and following the stated directions or by sending a request in writing, by mail, to all three credit reporting companies:

 
In order to place the security freeze, you’ll need to supply your name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, and other personal information. After receiving your freeze request, each credit reporting company will send you a confirmation letter containing a unique PIN (personal identification number) or password. Keep the PIN or password in a safe place. You will need it if you choose to lift the freeze.
 
If you do place a security freeze prior to enrolling in the credit monitoring service as described above, you will need to remove the freeze in order to sign up for the credit monitoring service. After you sign up for the credit monitoring service, you may refreeze your credit file.

5. Obtaining a Free Credit Report
Under federal law, you are entitled to one free credit report every 12 months from each of the above three major nationwide credit reporting companies. Call (877) 322-8228 or request your free credit reports online at www.annualcreditreport.com. Once you receive your credit reports, review them for discrepancies. Identify any accounts you did not open or inquiries from creditors that you did not authorize. Verify all information is correct. If you have questions or notice incorrect information, contact the credit reporting company.

6. Additional Helpful Resources
Even if you do not find any suspicious activity on your initial credit reports, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends that you check your credit reports periodically. Checking your credit report periodically can help you spot problems and address them quickly.
 
If you find suspicious activity on your credit reports or have reason to believe your information is being misused, call your local law enforcement agency and file a police report. Be sure to obtain a copy of the police report, as many creditors will want the information it contains to absolve you of the fraudulent debts. You may also file a complaint with the FTC by contacting them on the web at www.ftc.gov/idtheft, by phone at 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338), or by mail at Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Response Center, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580. Your complaint will be added to the FTC’s Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse, where it will be accessible to law enforcement for their investigations. In addition, you may obtain information from the FTC about fraud alerts and security freezes.
 
If your personal information has been used to file a false tax return, to open an account, or to attempt to open an account in your name or to commit fraud or other crimes against you, you may file a police report in the city in which you currently reside.
 

Iowa Residents: You may contact law enforcement or the Iowa Attorney General’s Office to report suspected incidents of identity Theft: Office of the Attorney General of Iowa, Consumer Protection Division, Hoover State Office Building, 1305 East Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50319, www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov, Telephone: 515-281-5164.
 

Maryland Residents: You may obtain information about avoiding identity theft from the Maryland Attorney General’s Office: Office of the Attorney General of Maryland, Consumer Protection Division, 200 St. Paul Place, Baltimore, MD 21202, www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/, Telephone: 888-743-0023.
 

Massachusetts Residents: Under Massachusetts law, you have the right to obtain a police report in regard to this incident. If you are the victim of identity theft, you also have the right to file a police report and obtain a copy of it.
 

New York Residents: You may obtain information about preventing identity theft from the New York Attorney General’s Office: Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224-0341; ag.ny.gov/consumer-frauds-bureau/identity-theft; Telephone: 800-771-7755.
 

North Carolina Residents: You may obtain information about preventing identity theft from the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office: Office of the Attorney General of North Carolina, Consumer Protection Division, 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001, www.ncdoj.gov/, Telephone: 877-566-7226 (toll-free within North Carolina), 919-716-6000.
 

Oregon Residents: You may obtain information about preventing identity theft from the Oregon Attorney General’s Office: Oregon Department of Justice, 1162 Court Street NE, Salem, OR 97301-4096, www.doj.state.or.us/, Telephone: 877-877-9392.
 

Washington D.C. Residents: You may obtain information about preventing identity theft from the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, 400 6th Street NW, Washington D.C. 20001, oag.dc.gov/consumer-protection, Telephone: 202-442-9828.
 

New Mexico Residents: You have rights under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). These include, among others, the right to know what is in your file; to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information; and to have consumer reporting agencies correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information. For more information about the FCRA, please visit www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/statutes/fair-credit-reporting-act or www.ftc.gov.
 

 
As noted above, you may obtain a security freeze on your credit report to protect your privacy and ensure that credit is not granted in your name without your knowledge. You may submit a declaration of removal to remove information placed in your credit report as a result of being a victim of identity theft. You have a right to place a security freeze on your credit report or submit a declaration of removal pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting and Identity Security Act.
 
The security freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. When you place a security freeze on your credit report, you will be provided with a personal identification number, password, or similar device to use if you choose to remove the freeze on your credit report or to temporarily authorize the release of your credit report to a specific party or parties or for a specific period of time after the freeze is in place. To remove the freeze or to provide authorization for the temporary release of your credit report, you must contact the consumer reporting agency and provide all of the following:

1. The unique personal identification number, password, or similar device provided by the consumer reporting agency;
2. Proper identification to verify your identity; and
3. Information regarding the third party or parties who are to receive the credit report or the period of time for which the credit report may be released to users of the credit report.

 
A consumer reporting agency that receives a request from a consumer to lift temporarily a freeze on a credit report shall comply with the request no later than three business days after receiving the request. As of September 1, 2008, a consumer reporting agency shall comply with the request within fifteen minutes of receiving the request by a secure electronic method or by telephone.
 
A security freeze does not apply in all circumstances, such as where you have an existing account relationship and a copy of your credit report is requested by your existing creditor or its agents for certain types of account review, collection, fraud control, or similar activities; for use in setting or adjusting an insurance rate or claim or insurance underwriting; for certain governmental purposes; and for purposes of prescreening as defined in the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.
 
If you are actively seeking a new credit, loan, utility, telephone, or insurance account, you should understand that the procedures involved in lifting a security freeze may slow your own applications for credit. You should plan ahead and lift a freeze, either completely if you are shopping around or specifically for a certain creditor, with enough advance notice before you apply for new credit for the lifting to take effect. You should contact a consumer reporting agency and request it to lift the freeze at least three business days before applying. As of September 1, 2008, if you contact a consumer reporting agency by a secure electronic method or by telephone, the consumer reporting agency should lift the freeze within fifteen minutes. You have a right to bring a civil action against a consumer reporting agency that violates your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting and Identity Security Act.
 
To place a security freeze on your credit report, you must send a request to each of the three major consumer reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You may contact these agencies using the contact information provided above.
 

Rhode Island Residents: You may contact law enforcement, such as the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office, to report incidents of identity theft or to learn about steps you can take to protect yourself from identity theft. You can contact the Rhode Island Attorney General at: Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General, 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903, www.riag.ri.gov, Telephone: 401-274-4400.
 
As noted above, you may obtain a security freeze on your credit report to protect your privacy and ensure that credit is not granted in your name without your knowledge. You have a right to place a “security freeze” on your credit report pursuant to chapter 48 of title 6 of the Identity Theft Prevention Act of 2006.
 
The security freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. When you place a security freeze on your credit report, within five (5) business days you will be provided a personal identification number or password to use if you choose to remove the freeze on your credit report or to temporarily authorize the release of your credit report for a specific period of time after the freeze is in place. To provide that authorization, you must contact the consumer reporting agency and provide all of the following:

1. The unique personal identification number or password provided by the consumer reporting agency.
2. Proper identification to verify your identity.
3. The proper information regarding the period of time for which the report shall be available to users of the credit report.

 
A consumer reporting agency that receives a request from a consumer to temporarily lift a freeze on a credit report shall comply with the request no later than three (3) business days after receiving the request.
 
A security freeze does not apply to circumstances where you have an existing account relationship and a copy of your report is requested by your existing creditor or its agents or affiliates for certain types of an account review, collection, fraud control, or similar activities.
 
If you are actively seeking a new credit, loan, utility, telephone, or insurance account, you should understand that the procedures involved in lifting a security freeze may slow your own applications for credit. You should plan ahead and lift a freeze — either completely, if you are shopping around, or specifically for a certain creditor — with enough advance notice before you apply for new credit for the lifting to take effect.
 
You have a right to bring a civil action against someone who violates your rights under the credit reporting laws. The action can be brought against a consumer reporting agency or a user of your credit report.
 
To place a security freeze on your credit report, you must send a request to each of the three major consumer reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. These agencies can be contacted using the contact information provided above.
 
In order to request a security freeze, you may need to provide the following information:

1. Your full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. Complete address;
5. Prior addresses;
6. Proof(s) of identification (state driver’s license or ID card, military identification, birth certificate, etc.);
7. If you are a victim of identity theft, a copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft.

 
There were 54 Rhode Island residents impacted by this incident.