WEI Mortgage LLC ("WEI Mortgage"), Notice of Data Breach

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- WEI Mortgage LLC ("WEI") recently discovered a data privacy incident that may affect the security of certain of personal information. 

What Happened?  On or around September 20, 2017, WEI Mortgage LLC ("WEI Mortgage") received reports of unusual activity in an employee's email account.  WEI Mortgage immediately began an investigation to confirm the security of its network and to determine the nature and scope of this event. With the assistance of third-party forensic investigators, WEI Mortgage learned it was the victim of an email phishing attack, resulting in unauthorized access to certain employee email accounts. Based upon available forensic evidence, it appears these email accounts were subject to unauthorized access between September 13 and September 28, 2017.  While the investigation found no evidence of actual or attempted misuse of personal information, the investigation revealed some personal information was present in the impacted email accounts at the time of the incident.               

What Information Was Involved?   The investigation determined the information present in the impacted email account varies by individual, but may include some combination of the following: Social Security number, date of birth, health insurance information, health insurance group number, health insurance member number, address, driver's license or state identification number, passport number, bank account information, credit or debit card information, tax identification number, username and password, loan package information, and name.

What We Are Doing.  WEI Mortgage takes the security of personal information in its care very seriously.  WEI Mortgage is working diligently to educate its employees about phishing scams and to confirm the ongoing security of its networks.  Law enforcement was notified of this incident, as well as applicable state regulators as required by law.   

As an added precaution, WEI Mortgage is offering affected individuals access to twenty-four (24) months of credit monitoring and identity theft restoration services through AllClear ID at no cost

What You Can Do.  You can review the information WEI Mortgage is providing on steps individuals can take to protect their information.  

For More Information. If you have additional questions, please call our dedicated assistance line at 1-855-303-6662, Monday through Saturday between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Central Time, excluding National Holidays.

STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION                

Monitor Your Accounts

Credit Reports.  We encourage you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing your account statements and monitoring your free credit reports for suspicious activity over the next 12 to 24 months. Under U.S. law, you are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. You may also contact the three major credit bureaus directly to request a free copy of your credit report.

Fraud Alerts.  At no charge, you can also have these credit bureaus place a "fraud alert" on your file that alerts creditors to take additional steps to verify your identity prior to granting credit in your name. Note, however, that because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you, it may also delay your ability to obtain credit while the agency verifies your identity. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the others are notified to place fraud alerts on your file. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, or should you have any questions regarding your credit report, please contact any one of the agencies listed below:

Security Freeze.  You may also place a security freeze on your 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. However, please be advised that placing a security freeze on your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prevent the timely approval of any requests you make for new loans, credit mortgages, employment, housing, or other services. If you have been a victim of identity theft and you provide the credit bureau with a valid police report, it cannot charge you to place, lift, or remove a security freeze. In all other cases, a credit bureau may charge you a fee to place, temporarily lift, or permanently remove a security freeze.  Fees vary based on where you live, but commonly range from $3 to $15.  You will need to place a security freeze separately with each of the three major credit bureaus listed above if you wish to place a freeze on all of your credit files. In order to request a security freeze, you will need to supply your full name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, current address, all addresses for up to five previous years, email address, a copy of your state identification card or driver's license, and a copy of a utility bill, bank or insurance statement, or other statement proving residence. To find out more on how to place a security freeze, you can use the following contact information:

Additional Information.  You can further educate yourself regarding identity theft, security freezes, fraud alerts, and the steps you can take to protect yourself against identity theft and fraud by contacting the Federal Trade Commission or your state Attorney General.  The Federal Trade Commission can 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 encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them.  Instances of known or suspected identity theft should be promptly reported to law enforcement, the Federal Trade Commission, and your state Attorney General.  This notice has not been delayed as the result of a law enforcement investigation.   

For Maryland residents, the Maryland Attorney General can be reached at: 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; 1-888-743-0023; and www.oag.state.md.us.  The WEI Mortgage is located at 4000 Midlantic Drive, Suite 102, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054.

For North Carolina residents, the North Carolina Attorney General can be contacted by mail at 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; toll-free at 1-877-566-7226; by phone at 1-919-716-6400; and online at www.ncdoj.gov.

For Rhode Island residents, the Rhode Island Attorney General can be contacted by mail at 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903; by phone at (401) 274-4400; and online at www.riag.ri.gov. A total of 2 Rhode Island residents are potentially impacted by this incident.  You have the right to file and obtain a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud.  Please note that, in order to file a crime report or incident report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some kind of proof that you have been a victim. 

For New Mexico residents, you have rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such as the right to be told if information in your credit file has been used against you, the right to know what is in your credit file, the right to ask for your credit score, and the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information.  Further, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the consumer reporting agencies must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information; access to your file is limited; you must give your consent for credit reports to be provided to employers; you may limit "prescreened" offers of credit and insurance you get based on information in your credit report; and you may seek damages from a violator. You may have additional rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act not summarized here. Identity theft victims and active duty military personnel have specific additional rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act.  We encourage you to review your rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act by visiting www.consumerfinance.gov/f/201504_cfpb_summary_your-rights-under-fcra.pdf, or by writing Consumer Response Center, Room 130-A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580.

SOURCE WEI Mortgage LLC

Related Links

http://www.weicorp.com