Data Privacy Event Affects UFCW Local 655 Food Employers Joint Pension Plan

BALLWIN, Mo., Nov. 9, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- UFCW Local 655 Food Employers Joint Pension Plan is providing notice of a recent data event that may have affected the security of personal information relating to current and former UFCW Local 655 Food Employers Joint Pension Plan participants.

On or around July 21, 2016, UFCW was the victim of a ransomware attack.  UFCW immediately began an investigation and retained third-party forensic experts to assist in its investigation.  After an extensive investigation, UFCW found no evidence that any sensitive information was accessed or acquired; however, UFCW determined that an unauthorized user gained access to its server on July 14, 2016, one week before the ransomware attack.  While there is no evidence that any sensitive information was accessed or acquired, UFCW is unable to definitively rule out this possibility, and is providing notice out of an abundance of caution.  The information potentially affected by this incident includes individuals' names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, as well as bank account information for a subset of individuals.

As an additional precaution, UFCW is offering affected individuals access to 12 months of credit monitoring and identity theft restoration services at no expense to the individuals.  Individuals are also encouraged to review the additional information provided for steps to take to protect from potential harm.

UFCW has established a dedicated assistance line for individuals to ask questions or learn additional information regarding this incident.  Individuals can reach this assistance line by calling 1-855-366-0140.  If an individual believes he or she may have been affected, but did not receive a letter, the individual is encouraged to call the above-referenced number.   

UFCW Local 655 Food Employers Joint Pension Plan encourages individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud and to protect against possible identity theft or other financial loss by regularly reviewing financial account statements, and monitoring credit reports for suspicious activity.  Under U.S. law, individuals are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit bureaus. To obtain a free credit report, individuals may visit www.annualcreditreport.com, or call, toll-free, (877) 322-8228.  Individuals may also contact the three major credit bureaus directly to request a free copy of a credit report.  Individuals are encouraged to look for accounts they did not open as well as inquiries from creditors that they did not initiate. If an individual sees anything on the report that he or she does not understand, the individual should call the credit reporting agency at the telephone number on the report.  Individuals in Massachusetts have the right to obtain any police report filed regarding this incident.  Individuals who are the victims of identity theft also have the right to file a police report and obtain a copy of it in certain states.

At no charge, individuals can have these credit bureaus place a "fraud alert" on their files that alert creditors to take additional steps to verify their identity prior to granting credit in their name. Please note, however, that because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect an individual's credit, it may also delay the ability to obtain credit while the agency verifies the individual's identity. As soon as one credit bureau confirms a fraud alert, the others are notified to place fraud alerts on the individual's file. If an individual wishes to place a fraud alert, or has questions regarding his or her credit report, the individual can contact any one of the following agencies:

An individual may also place a security freeze on his or her credit reports.  A security freeze prohibits a credit bureau from releasing any information from a consumer's credit report without the consumer's written authorization.  A security freeze on a credit report may delay, interfere with, or prevent the timely approval of any requests made for new loans, credit mortgages, employment, housing or other services.

If an individual is a victim of identity theft, and provides the credit bureau with a valid police report, the individual will not be charged to place, lift or remove a security freeze.  In other cases, a credit bureau may charge a fee to place, temporarily lift, or permanently remove a security freeze.  For Massachusetts residents, a credit bureau may charge you up to $5.00 each to place, temporarily lift, or permanently remove a Security Freeze if you are not a victim of identity theft, and have not provided the credit bureaus with a valid police report.  An individual will need to place a security freeze separately with each of the three major credit bureaus listed above to place the freeze on all of their credit files.  For more information on how to place a security freeze, affected individuals may use the following contact information:

To request a security freeze, an individual will need to provide personal information, including name, Social Security number, date of birth, addresses for the past five years, proof of current residence, government issued identification, and proof of identity theft (such as a police report or complaint to law enforcement regarding identity theft).  If the individual is not a victim of identity theft, the individual may need to include payment by check, money order, or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover only). 

Individuals can further educate themselves regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, security freezes, and the steps they can take to protect themselves, by contacting their state Attorney General or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).  The FTC also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them.  The FTC can be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.ftc.gov/idtheft; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. Individuals should also report known or suspected identity theft to their state Attorney General, the FTC, and local law enforcement. Their state Attorney General may have advice on preventing identity theft.  Individuals can also learn more about placing a fraud alert or security freeze on their credit files by contacting the FTC, their state Attorney General, or local law enforcement. For Maryland residents, the Attorney General can be reached at: 200 St. Paul Place, 16^th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; 1-888-743-0023; and www.oag.state.md.us.  For North Carolina Residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at: 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh NC 267699-9001; (919) 716-6400; and www.ncdoj.gov.  For Rhode Island Residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at: 150 South Main Street, Providence RI 02903; (401) 274-4400; and www.riag.ri.gov. This notice has not been delayed because of a law enforcement investigation.  Individuals should report known or suspected identity theft to their state Attorney General or local law enforcement.

SOURCE UFCW Local 655