There was a recent data breech at Hy-Vee grocery chains with the sale of more than 5.3 million accounts according to Krebson Security.com. Currently, they believe that only users that paid at fuel pumps, drive-thru coffee shops and restaurants are affected. Please continue to check your account for any suspicious activity and report to our bookkeeping department as necessary.
An expected credit card hasn't arrived in the mail. You hear from credit collectors about debts you don't know about. There are unauthorized purchases on your billing statements.
If at any point you think you’ve become a victim of ID theft, follow the steps below to secure your accounts:
Step 1: File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 877-ID-THEFT (877-438-4338) or www.consumer.gov/idtheft (Opens in a new Window) . The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations.
Step 2: Contact the fraud department of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit file. This alert will request that creditors contact you before opening any new accounts under your name. Once the credit bureau confirms your alert, all three will send you a credit report free of charge. The alert will remain on your account from 90-180 days.
www.equifax.com (Opens in a new Window) www.experian.com (Opens in a new Window) www.transunion.com (Opens in a new Window)
Step 3: File a police report. Get a copy of this report so that you can dispute unauthorized charges and use for any insurance claims.
Step 4: Close any accounts that may have been compromised or opened fraudulently. This list of accounts may include: bank accounts, credit cards, retail cards, phone companies, utilities, and other service providers. Dispute any unauthorized charges. The FTC website provides many helpful resources, including a sample dispute letter and a form affidavit which can be used if a sworn statement is needed by any creditors.
