Electrical Workers Local 369 Benefit & Retirement Fund Provides Notice of a Security Incident

LOUISVILLE, Ky., July 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Electrical Workers Local 369 Benefit & Retirement Fund (the "Fund") is providing notice of a recent incident that may affect the security of certain individuals' information. 

On May 24, 2021, the Fund discovered suspicious activity on its network relating to an employee email account. The Fund immediately launched an investigation to determine the nature and scope of the incident. The investigation determined that an unauthorized actor gained access to the email account and that information contained in the employee's email account may have been viewed or taken by the unauthorized actor. 

Although there is no indication of any identity theft of any information as a result of this incident, the Fund could not rule out the possibility that some individuals' information was or may have been viewed or taken. Therefore, in an abundance of caution, the Fund reviewed the information contained within the employee's email account and determined that certain information related to individuals was or may have been impacted. 

The following types of information that the Fund maintains in its systems and that were, or may have been, impacted by this incident include individuals' names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, medical diagnosis/medical treatment information, and health insurance information. To date, the Fund has not received any reports of fraudulent misuse of any information potentially impacted. 

The Fund takes this incident and the security of personal information in its care seriously. The Fund moved quickly to investigate and respond to this incident, assess the security of its relevant systems, and notify potentially affected individuals. In response to this incident, the Fund augmented its policies and procedures addressing network security. The Fund is also notifying potentially affected individuals so that they may take further steps to protect their information, should they feel it is appropriate to do so. 

The Fund established a dedicated assistance line for individuals seeking information regarding this incident. Individuals seeking additional information may call the toll-free assistance line at 1-866-991-0832. This toll-free number is available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding major U.S. holidays. 

Potentially affected individuals may also consider the information and resources outlined below. The Fund encourages potentially impacted individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud and to review account statements, credit reports, and explanation of benefits forms for suspicious activity and to report any suspicious activity immediately to law enforcement and their state Attorney General. 

Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. Individuals may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of their credit report.

Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended "fraud alert" on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a one-year alert that is placed on a consumer's credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer's credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer's identity before extending new credit. If an individual is the victim of identity theft, they are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should they wish to place a fraud alert, they may contact any one of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.

As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a "credit freeze" on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer's express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in an individual's name without their consent. However, individuals should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in their credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application they make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, an individual cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on their credit report. To request a security freeze, individuals will need to provide the following information:

1. Full name (including middle initial, as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. Addresses for the prior two to five years;
5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver's license or ID card, etc.); and
7. A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if they are a victim of identity theft.

Should individuals wish to place a credit freeze, they may contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:

Additional Information

Individuals may further educate themselves regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps they can take to protect their personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or their state Attorney General. 

The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with it. Individuals can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. Individuals have the right to file a police report if they ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, individuals will likely need to provide some proof that they have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and their state Attorney General. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.

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SOURCE Electrical Workers Local 369 Benefit & Retirement Fund