MADISON - In the aftermath of the recent Equifax data breach, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection asks Wisconsin residents to be on the lookout for unsolicited calls requesting sensitive personal or financial information.
Neither Equifax nor any bank will call individuals and request their Social Security number or other sensitive details. If one receives an unsolicited call from someone who claims that they can verify whether personal information was affected in the breach or that they provide services to affected consumers, the DATCP recommends hanging up the phone, not engaging with the caller and to not provide any information.
Be wary of a call from someone claiming to be from your lending institution. Hang up and call the institution back at a number listed in the phone book, in a bank statement or on the business' website. Never return a call on the number provided in an unsolicited call, and do not trust that the information on a caller ID is accurate.
To find out if information was affected in the data breach, visit www.equifaxsecurity2017.com. Equifax also has set up a call center to address consumer questions. The call center can be reached at 866-447-7559 from 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week. Due to high call volumes, Equifax suggests calling after 4 p.m.
If personal information was impacted, download a copy of DATCP's "Data Breach: What to do if it happens to you" fact sheet from http://datcp.wisconsin.gov, pull a free credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com and place a fraud alert on your credit record. More information about the situation is available on DATCP's data breach page or in their recent consumer alert.
For additional information, visit the Consumer Protection Bureau at http://datcp.wisconsin.gov, send an email to datcphotline@wisconsin.gov or call the Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-422-7128.
Neither Equifax nor any bank will call individuals and request their Social Security number or other sensitive details. If one receives an unsolicited call from someone who claims that they can verify whether personal information was affected in the breach or that they provide services to affected consumers, the DATCP recommends hanging up the phone, not engaging with the caller and to not provide any information.
Be wary of a call from someone claiming to be from your lending institution. Hang up and call the institution back at a number listed in the phone book, in a bank statement or on the business' website. Never return a call on the number provided in an unsolicited call, and do not trust that the information on a caller ID is accurate.
To find out if information was affected in the data breach, visit www.equifaxsecurity2017.com. Equifax also has set up a call center to address consumer questions. The call center can be reached at 866-447-7559 from 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week. Due to high call volumes, Equifax suggests calling after 4 p.m.
If personal information was impacted, download a copy of DATCP's "Data Breach: What to do if it happens to you" fact sheet from http://datcp.wisconsin.gov, pull a free credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com and place a fraud alert on your credit record. More information about the situation is available on DATCP's data breach page or in their recent consumer alert.
For additional information, visit the Consumer Protection Bureau at http://datcp.wisconsin.gov, send an email to datcphotline@wisconsin.gov or call the Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-422-7128.