Recently, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced that its computer systems containing personal information on current and retired federal workers had been hacked and their information possibly compromised. OPM has sent information to those employees affected on what to do to prevent identify theft. In addition, they have contracted with a firm who specializes in monitoring various avenues where stolen personal information might be used. This information is being distributed to the affected employees.
If we see an opportunity to advocate for additional protection for our membership, on top of what is being offered by OPM, we will seek to acquire this for ATSP members.
Below are some ways which have been suggested by OPM to help prevent or mitigate identify theft, whether or not you have been notified about this current situation.
- Request a free credit report at www.AnnualCreditReport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228. Consumers are entitled by law to one free credit report per year from each of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax®, Experian®, and TransUnion®) for a total of three reports every year. Contact information for the credit bureaus can be found on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website, www.ftc.gov.
- Review resources provided on the FTC identity theft website, www.identitytheft.gov. The FTC maintains a variety of consumer publications providing comprehensive information on computer intrusions and identity theft.
- You may place a fraud alert on your credit file to let creditors know to contact you before opening a new account in your name. Simply call TransUnion® at 1-800-680-7289 to place this alert. TransUnion® will then notify the other two credit bureaus on your behalf
