PFC USA Provides Notice of Data Security Incident

GREELEY, Colo., July 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Professional Finance Company, Inc. ("PFC"), an accounts receivable management company that provides assistance to various organizations (including healthcare providers), announced today that it is notifying individuals whose information may have been involved in a recent network security incident.

On February 26, 2022, PFC detected and stopped a sophisticated ransomware attack, in which an unauthorized third party accessed and disabled some of PFC's computer systems. PFC immediately engaged third party forensic specialists to assist with securing the network environment and investigating the extent of any unauthorized activity. Federal law enforcement was also notified. The ongoing investigation determined that an unauthorized third party accessed files containing certain individuals' personal information during this incident.  PFC notified the respective healthcare providers on May 5, 2022. This incident only impacted data on PFC's systems. The list of healthcare providers can be viewed here: 
https://bit.ly/CoveredEntitiesPFC

PFC found no evidence that personal information has been specifically misused; however, it is possible that the following information could have been accessed by an unauthorized third party: first and last name, address, accounts receivable balance and information regarding payments made to accounts, and, in some cases, date of birth, social security number, and health insurance and medical treatment information.

PFC today is mailing letters to potentially involved individuals with detail about the incident and providing resources they can use to help protect their information. PFC is also offering potentially involved individuals access to free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services through Cyberscout, a leading identity protection company.

Individuals should refer to the notice they received in the mail regarding steps they can take to protect themselves. As a precautionary measure, potentially impacted individuals should remain vigilant to protect against fraud and/or identity theft by, among other things, reviewing their financial account statements and monitoring free credit reports. If individuals detect any suspicious activity on an account, they should promptly notify the institution or company with which the account is maintained. Individuals should also promptly report any fraudulent activity or any suspected identity theft to proper law enforcement authorities, including the police and their state's attorney general. Individuals may also wish to review the tips provided by the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") on fraud alerts, free security/credit freezes and steps that they can take to avoid identity theft. For more information and to contact the FTC, please visit www.identitytheft.gov or call 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338). Individuals may also contact the FTC at: Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580.   

PFC is providing a dedicated toll-free call center for potentially affected individuals who have questions, want to enroll in credit monitoring and identity theft protection services, or who want to learn additional steps to protect their information. To contact the call center, please call 1-844-663-3160, between 6am and 6pm MST. More information is available on the PFC website: https://www.pfcusa.com/.

Data security is one of PFC's highest priorities. Since the incident, PFC wiped and rebuilt affected systems and has taken steps to bolster its network security. PFC also reviewed and altered its policies, procedures, and network security software relating to the security of systems and servers, as well as how data is stored and managed.

Credit Reports: You may obtain a copy of your credit report, free of charge, whether or not you suspect any unauthorized activity on your account. You may obtain a free copy of your credit report from each of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies. To order your free credit report, please visit www.annualcreditreport.com, or call toll-free at 1-877-322-8228. You can also order your annual free credit report by mailing a completed Annual Credit Report Request Form (available at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0155-free-credit-reports) to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA, 30348-5281.

Security Freeze: You also have the right to place a security freeze on your credit report. A security freeze is intended to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. To place a security freeze on your credit report, you need to make a request to each consumer reporting agency. You may make that request by certified mail, overnight mail, regular stamped mail, or by following the instructions found at the websites listed below. The following information must be included when requesting a security freeze (note that if you are requesting a credit report for your spouse or a minor under the age of 16, this information must be provided for him/her as well): (1) full name, with middle initial and any suffixes; (2) Social Security number; (3) date of birth; (4) current address and any previous addresses for the past five years; and (5) any applicable incident report or complaint with a law enforcement agency or the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The request must also include a copy of a government-issued identification card and a copy of a recent utility bill or bank or insurance statement. It is essential that each copy be legible, display your name and current mailing address, and the date of issue. As of September 21, 2018, it is free to place, lift, or remove a security freeze. You may also place a security freeze for children under the age of 16. You may obtain a free security freeze by contacting any one or more of the following national consumer reporting agencies:

Fraud Alerts: You can place fraud alerts with the three credit bureaus by phone and online with:

• Equifax (https://assets.equifax.com/assets/personal/Fraud_Alert_Request_Form.pdf);
• TransUnion (https://www.transunion.com/fraud-alerts); or
• Experian (https://www.experian.com/fraud/center.html).

A fraud alert tells creditors to follow certain procedures, including contacting you, before they open any new accounts or change your existing accounts. For that reason, placing a fraud alert can protect you, but also may delay you when you seek to obtain credit. As of September 21, 2018, initial fraud alerts last for one year. Victims of identity theft can also get an extended fraud alert for seven years. The phone numbers for all three credit bureaus are at listed above.

Monitoring: You should always remain vigilant and monitor your accounts for suspicious or unusual activity.

File Police Report: You have the right to file or obtain a police report if you experience identity 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 proof that you have been a victim. A police report is often required to dispute fraudulent items. You can generally report suspected incidents of identity theft to local law enforcement or to the Attorney General.

FTC and Attorneys General: You can further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, security freezes, and the steps you can take to protect yourself, by contacting the consumer reporting agencies, 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), 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 them. You can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. You have the right to file a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some proof that you have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.

For Maryland residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202, 1-888-743-0023, and www.oag.state.md.us.

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 violators. 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.

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

For New York residents, the Attorney General may be contacted at Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224-0341, 1-800-771-7755, and https://ag.ny.gov/.

For Rhode Island residents, the Rhode Island Attorney General can be reached at 150 South Main Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, www.riag.ri.gov, and 1-401-274-4400. Under Rhode Island law, you have the right to obtain any police report filed in regard to this incident.

For Vermont Residents, if you do not have internet access but would like to learn more about how to place a security freeze on your credit report, contact the Vermont Attorney General's Office at 802-656-3183 (800-649-2424 toll free in Vermont only).

SOURCE Professional Finance Company