SEATTLE, Nov. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Out of an abundance
of caution, Sound Generations informs its clients and Other
Affected Individuals of two data security incidents that may have
resulted in an unauthorized access of personal information. Sound
Generations sincerely apologizes for these incidents and any
inconvenience it may cause to its clients and Other Affected
Individuals. While Sound Generations is unaware of any
fraudulent misuse of the personal information at this time, Sound
Generations is providing details about the events, steps that Sound
Generations is taking in response, and resources available to help
its clients and Other Affected Individuals to protect against the
potential misuse of their information.
Notification letters are being mailed to affected individuals.
This notice is intended for those individuals who may not receive
the notification letter because of incorrect or incomplete mailing
addresses.
Our Organization: Sound Generations is a
comprehensive 501c3 non-profit organization that serves older
adults and adults with disabilities in King County, Washington. Our organization is
Washington State's largest
provider of comprehensive services for aging adults in King
County. We strive to expand the provision of food security,
transportation, health & wellness, and assistance services to
underserved and marginalized populations. Our programs and
affiliated service sites provide accessible resources and services
across King County.
What Happened: Sound Generations discovered
that an unauthorized party gained access to its computer systems
and encrypted information stored on our systems on July 18, 2021 and September 18, 2021. Sound Generations terminated
the unauthorized access, and promptly commenced an investigation to
determine the scope of the incidents. The investigation was unable
to rule out that information stored on Sound Generations' systems
may have been accessed by an unauthorized party. After the
conclusion of the third party's forensics investigations, Sound
Generations conducted its own investigation and due diligence to
identify the affected individuals and the nature of their personal
information that may have been compromised. Sound Generations
has determined that some of its client information has been
potentially impacted following the incidents. This investigation
was necessary to provide accurate information and notice
to the potentially impacted individuals. To date, Sound
Generations has no reason to believe that there was a misuse of the
information pertaining to the potentially impacted individuals.
What Information Was Involved: The
personal information Sound Generations receives is typically
limited to demographic and health information, including name,
address, phone number, email, date of birth, and whether or not its
clients have health insurance. For those individuals who
participated in the EnhanceFitness program, their data may also
include their health insurance number. Health history and health
condition may also be included for those individuals who provided
this information to Sound Generations. Please note that Sound
Generations does not collect or store any of its client's Social
Security Numbers, drivers' license numbers, financial account
information, credit or debit card information.
Please note, however, that since becoming aware of these
incidents, Sound Generations has received no indication that its
client information has been used by the unauthorized actor or by
any unauthorized party to commit fraud. Sound Generations is
providing notice of the incidents to its clients and Other Affected
Individuals out of an abundance of caution.
What We Are Doing: Sound Generations values
the privacy of its client information and will continue to do
everything it can to protect it. Since the incident, Sound
Generations has greatly enhanced its cybersecurity controls,
including changing passwords and installing additional security on
its systems.
What You Can Do:
- You should always remain vigilant for incidents of fraud and
identity theft by reviewing credit card account statements and by
monitoring your credit report for suspicious or unusual
activity.
- Please notify your financial institution immediately if you
detect any suspicious activity on any of your accounts, including
unauthorized transactions or new accounts opened in your name that
you do not recognize. You should also promptly report any
fraudulent activity or any suspected incidents of identity theft to
proper law enforcement authorities.
- You can request a copy of your credit report, free of charge,
directly from each of the three nationwide credit reporting
agencies. To do so, free of charge once every 12 months, please
visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll free at
1-877-322-8228. Contact information for the three nationwide credit
reporting agencies is listed below.
- 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.
- You can take steps recommended by the Federal Trade Commission
to protect yourself from identity theft. The FTC's website offers
helpful information at www.ftc.gov/idtheft.
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.
You can also place fraud alerts with the three credit
bureaus by phone or online. 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.
Experian
P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
1-888-397-3742
www.experian.com/fraud/center.html
|
TransUnion
P.O. Box 2000 Chester, PA 19016
1-800-680-7289
www.transunion.com/fraud-alerts
|
Equifax
P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348
1-800-525-6285
https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-fraud-alerts/
|
You 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:
Experian
P.O. Box 9554 Allen, TX 75013
1-888-397-3742
www.experian.com/freeze/center.html
|
TransUnion
P.O. Box 160 Woodlyn, PA 19094
1-888-909-8872
www.transunion.com/credit-freeze
|
Equifax
P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348-5788
1-888-298-0045
https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/
|
Furthermore, to help protect your deceased family member, there
are steps you can take to request a copy of your deceased family
member's credit report. An executor or surviving spouse can
place a request to any of the three credit reporting agencies for a
copy of the deceased individual's credit report. An executor
or surviving spouse can also request that the following two notices
be placed on a deceased individual's credit report:
- "Deceased – Do not issue credit"; or
- "If an application is made for credit, please notify the
following person(s) (e.g. surviving relative, executor/trustee of
the estate and/or local law enforcement agency – notifying the
relationship)."
Contact information for the three nationwide credit reporting
companies is as follows:
Equifax PO Box
740241 Atlanta, GA
30374 www.equifax.com 1-800-525-6285
|
Experian PO Box
9554 Allen, TX
75013 www.experian.com 1-888-397-3742
|
TransUnion PO Box
6790 Fullerton, CA
92834 www.transunion.com 1-800-680-7289
|
For more information regarding identity theft and the deceased,
please visit http://www.idtheftcenter.org and search for "FS 117 -
Identity Theft and the Deceased - Prevention and Victim Tips." You
should also notify the Social Security Administration and Internal
Revenue Service of the death of your family member and that you
received this letter.
More Information: Sound Generations
sincerely regrets any inconvenience that these incidents may cause
to its clients and remains dedicated to protecting their
information. For media inquiries, please contact the toll free
number 1-833-770-0673, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. ET.
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SOURCE Sound Generations