District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that many county residents have likely been affected by the Equifax data breach and advises that they consider appropriate steps to protect their personal data. Equifax is one of three major credit reporting agencies. According to Equifax, from mid-May through July 2017, they suffered a data breach that affected the personal identifying information of 143 million Americans and 15 million Californians. Be aware that Equifax representatives will not call residents unless the residents first call Equifax. Unsolicited calls could be a scam.

Consumers may contact Equifax to learn whether their data was potentially exposed. Contact may be made in one of two ways:
- Visit the Equifax website at www.eguifaxsecurity2017.com. Be sure to use a secure computer and, if using wi-fi, be sure that it is a secure network, or,
- Call (866) 447-7559.

According to the Equifax website, even if one’s data was not exposed, Equifax will enroll consumers in the TrustedID Premier service if requested by November 21, 2017. This provides, free of charge:
- A copy of the consumer’s Equifax credit report.
- Credit file monitoring for all three credit monitoring companies; Equifax, Experian, and
Transunion.

- Social security number monitoring. Equifax will search for suspicious websites for the consumer’s social security number.

- Identity theft insurance of up to $1,000,000.

- Equifax Credit Report lock. This prevents access to the consumer’s Equifax credit report by third parties, with certain exceptions. This acts as a “red flag” to credit issuers and is designed to lead to the consumer being notified before the lock is lifted. However, this only applies to Equifax reports. Consumers are encouraged to contact the other two major credit reporting agencies to place a red flag (free) or a lock (up to $35). The contact information is:

- TransUnion 1-800-680-7289 / www.transunion.com/fraud
- Experian 1-888-397-3742 / www.experian.com/fraud/centerhtml

All consumers that sign up for TrustedID Premier will be asked for the last six numbers of their social security number and will be issued a randomly generated PIN number. They will not be asked to provide credit card information nor will they be charged after the year of Trusted ID Premier has expired. Equifax has also changed its policy and those that take advantage of Equifax’s offer will not waive any rights to take legal action against Equifax.

For more information on the Equifax breach go to:
- www.eguifaxsecurity2017.com

To check your credit reports for free visit:
- www.annualcreditreport.gov. Accounts you do not recognize may indicate identity theft.

For more information on what to do as a result of a breach and to avoid identity theft go to:
- www.identitflheft.gov
- www.oag.ca.gov/idtheft
The Ventura County District Attomey’s Office is the public prosecutor for the county’s 850,000 residents. The office employs approximately 280 employees including attorneys, investigators, victim advocates, and other professional support staff who strive to seek justice, ensure public safety, and protect the rights of crime victims. Follow the Ventura County District Attomey’s Office on Twitter @VenturaDAOffice.