News of a recent data breach at DC Health Link is an unfortunate reminder of the need to remain vigilant in the face of global cyber security threats. TransUnion is here to help.

Here are a few quick items that affected consumers can consider to take action.

1. Consider a credit freeze at https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze, or a fraud alert at https://www.transunion.com/fraud-alerts.
2. Review your credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com.
3. Remain vigilant against phishing attempts.
4. Follow ongoing security precautions to help prevent further adverse activity.
5. Consider a paid identity monitoring and restoration service.
6. Review our additional resources at https://www.transunion.com/fraud-victim-resources.

We expand further on these items below:

Credit Freezes and Alerts:

TransUnion’s Credit Freeze resource has information about freezes and a link to sign in/enroll in a TransUnion Service Center account to freeze credit. A credit freeze is the best way to help prevent new accounts from being opened in your name. It’s absolutely free to freeze and unfreeze your credit, and it won’t affect your credit score. Learn more at https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze.

A fraud alert is also free and notifies creditors to take extra steps to verify a consumer’s identity before extending credit. Add or remove a TransUnion fraud alert any time, with no effect to your credit score. Learn more at https://www.transunion.com/fraud-alerts.

Reviewing Credit Reports:

Regularly reviewing your credit report serves as a great way to check your credit data as reported to TransUnion, and guard against identity theft and financial fraud. Consumers can access a free weekly TransUnion credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com.

Preventing Phishing Attempts:

It’s important to remain vigilant against subsequent phishing attempts that may result in the weeks following a relevant breach. Of note, the websites provided in this guide are offered as URLs, rather than links. That’s because manually entering URLs – rather than following links – helps prevent users from accidentally clicking a harmful or malicious link. Additional information on phishing is available at https://www.transunion.com/blog/identity-protection/avoiding-phishing-scams.

Additional Precautions:

We encourage consumers to follow several security recommendations as a precaution:

• Do not disclose personal or business information such as passwords and PINs when asked to do so by anyone via phone, fax, text messages or email.
• Use unique passwords for different websites, change them regularly, and never share passwords with anyone else.
• Verify all requests for personal information and only provide it when there is a legitimate reason to do so.
• Perform frequent anti-virus and malware scans on your computers and mobile devices, using software that is up to date.
• Do not click on any suspicious links.

Monitor Your Identity:

Individuals who are particularly concerned about identity theft may want to consider additional protections beyond what's listed above. Monitoring and restoration products like IdentityForce, while not a free service, can alert you to suspicious activity and offer personalized asssitance in recovering your identity. 

Additional information is available at www.identityforce.com. 

Additional Resources:

Please feel free to take advantage of the additional resources we provide on our website.

• Our Fraud Victim Resources offer tips and support for consumers, available at https://www.transunion.com/fraud-victim-resources
• Additionally, we’ve built a step-by-step Fraud Companion Guide that may help, available at https://www.transunion.com/content/dam/transunion/global/consumer/documents/TU-fraud-companion-guide-2021.pdf.
• Visit a more extensive fraud prevention checklist, available at https://www.transunion.com/fraud-victim-resources/fraud-victim-checklist.
• 19 Tips for Data Breach Victims https://www.identityforce.com/19-tips-for-data-breach-victims
• How to Strengthen Your Logins: https://www.sontiq.com/resources/how-to-safeguard-your-passwords/
• Reach out directly for support. Our general support line is 800-916-8800
  • Hours: Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–11 p.m. Eastern Time; Saturday & Sunday 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Eastern Time
• Secondarily, consumers can reach the credit freeze support center at 888-909-8872

Access to personal information can create opportunities for criminals to commit fraud, but it’s no guarantee they can access financial information or accounts, especially if consumers act quickly. Again, TransUnion is here to help.