[Ben E Lou]

Dear South Carolina Taxpayer:

As you know, tax data at the South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR) was compromised due to a recent security breach. Immediately upon discovering the data breach, new technology and policy protections were implemented at SCDOR to prevent further information exposure. We are writing you today to confirm that your tax information was compromised. The tax information that was compromised includes social security numbers of you and your dependents, if you claimed dependents on a tax return, and your bank account number only if you provided a bank account number on your electronic return(s). If your bank account number was compromised, you should regularly review your monthly bank account statement and your account online, and contact your bank immediately if you see any unexplained charges.

In addition to the Experian® ProtectMyID® services in which you have enrolled, we want to remind you that SCDOR is providing protection services for your minor dependents under Experian's Family Secure® program. You should receive a notification from Experian about how to enroll in Family Secure within a few days of enrolling in ProtectMyID. The enrollment period for Family Secure ends May 31, 2013. More valuable information on protecting yourself and your family is available from the Department of Consumer Affairs by visiting www.consumer.sc.gov and clicking the "Identity Theft Resources" button or calling 1-800-922-1594.

Two additional protections that will alert you to the opening of new credit files or prevent them from being opened are fraud alerts and security freezes:

You can place a fraud alert at one of the three major credit bureaus by phone and also via Experian's website. 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. The contact information for all three bureaus is as follows:


Equifax® Fraud Reporting
1-800-525-6285
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Credit Reports, Credit Scores, Identity Theft Protection from Equifax

Experian® Fraud Reporting
1-888-397-3742
P.O. Box 9532
Allen, TX 75013
Credit Report and Credit Score with Toll-Free Support from Experian

TransUnion® Fraud Reporting
1-800-680-7289
Fraud Victim Assistance Division
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
www.transunion.com


It is necessary to contact only ONE of these bureaus. As soon as one of the three bureaus confirms your fraud alert, the others are notified to place alerts on their records as well. You will receive confirmation letters in the mail from all three bureaus and will then be able to order all three credit reports, free of charge, for your review.

A stronger preventative step is to place a security freeze on your financial information. You can place, lift, or permanently remove the security freeze free of charge in South Carolina. When you place a freeze, if someone acquires your personal information he/she will not be able to open new accounts or borrow money in your name. You will need to contact ALL THREE credit bureaus to place the freeze. Keep in mind that you will not be able to borrow money or get instant credit, new credit cards, insurance, cell phone service or other utilities until you temporarily lift or permanently remove the freeze, and that a freeze cannot be placed for children unless a credit file has been opened on them (which is usually a sign of fraud). Contact information for all three credit bureaus is:


Equifax® Security Freeze
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348
1-800-685-1111
www.freeze.equifax.com

Experian® Security Freeze
P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
1-888-397-3742
Experian - Security Freeze Center

TransUnion® LLC
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
1-888-909-8872
http://freeze.transunion.com


We have been informing the public about the incident and how to protect yourself and your families in press conferences and newspapers, on TV and on the internet starting the moment law enforcement gave us permission to do so, and be assured that we will continue to do so. Again, for more information on protecting yourself against identity theft, please contact the Department of Consumer Affairs at1-800-922-1594 or visit www.consumer.sc.gov. For more information on the incident, visit www.sctax.org/security.

Woohoo