COLUMBIA (WACH) - There was a huge response to a question on the WACH Fox Facebook page regarding the Department of Revenue Breach Notice that is being sent to South Carolina taxpayers whose personal data is believed to have been compromised by an international hacker.
We reached out to the South Carolina Department of Revenue with some of your questions.
The Public Information Director for the agency provided the following answers:
Why did it take so long after the incident to get the letter?
The state has been providing individuals with information about the incident and how to protect themselves and their families in press conferences and newspapers, on TV and on the internet, and we will continue to provide the public with this information. Also, various interest groups such as AARP have been utilized to get the message out to sign up for protection. When contractual agreements were signed with entities assisting in the mailing, letters began to be sent. Through the mailing of notification letters, the state hopes to see an increase in the number of sign ups with the protection plan.
Will everyone get the letter?
All taxpayers whose information was compromised will receive a notification letter; mailings began December 10 starting with out of state residents.
How long do you have to sign up for protection after getting the letter?
Individuals have until March 31, 2013 to enroll with ProtectMyID.
If you get the letter, has your personal information been breached or is it still a maybe?
The notification letter states that the addressed individual’s information was compromised and details measures that the individual should take to protect himself/herself from identity theft, including enrolling in ProtectMyID's credit monitoring services.
If one person in a household that files jointly gets a letter, are all people compromised?
Those individuals who file joint tax returns will each receive a letter, if affected.
What happens after the free year is up?
Through enrollment with ProtectMyID, taxpayers have access to Experian’s ExtendCARE which provides full access to personalized assistance from a highly-trained Fraud Resolution Agent even after the one year ProtectMyID membership expires.
If someone who received a letter put their children’s information on their return, is that information also compromised?
Yes as all information contained on a tax return was potentially compromised. Once enrolled with ProtectMyID, taxpayers will receive notification from Experian by email or letter with instructions about how to sign up for Experian’s Family Secure identity monitoring service free of charge for one year. Once notified, individuals may register coverage for himself/herself and minors. Family Secure enrollment ends May 31, 2013.
Also, for those who have received a Department of Revenue Breach Notice for a deceased loved one, the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs has detailed instructions on what to do next.
Follow these steps for notifying the credit bureaus of a family member’s death:
1. Request copies of the death certificate. You will send these to the credit bureaus as well as any creditors that the deceased may have, that are still unaware of the death.
2. Draft a notification letter. Utilize SCDCA’s sample letter for notifying the credit bureaus of the death (download from our website or by calling 800.922.1594) or draft a letter containing the following information:
a. Your name and contact information.
b. The deceased’s name, social security number, prior three addresses in the past five years, date of birth, location of birth and date of death.
c. Specify your relationship to the deceased and provide supporting documents, as required.
d. Ask that the credit bureau post on the decedent’s credit report: “Deceased, Do Not Issue Credit.”
e. Request a current copy of the decedent’s credit report.
3. Send the notification letter and death certificate copy to the bureaus. Keep copies of your originals and send the letters certified mail, return receipt requested to:
Equifax, Office of Consumer Affairs, PO Box 105139, Atlanta, GA 30348
Experian, PO Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013-9595
TransUnion, PO Box 2000 Chester, PA 19022
4. Review the credit report and ensure that all the accounts are marked as deceased. If they are not, the process for notifying a creditor is similar to the process listed above. However, verify what documentation may be required with individual creditors.
For more information on minimizing the effects of ID Theft visit SCDCA’s ID Theft Resources page.
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