Here we go again... another data breech. Even if you haven't stayed at an affected property recently, check out this info on ID theft and how to protect yourself. Below is quoted directly from Starwood:
We remind you it is always advisable to be vigilant for incidents of
fraud or identity theft by reviewing your account statements and free
credit reports for any unauthorized activity. You may obtain a copy of
your credit report, free of charge, once every 12 months from each of
the three nationwide credit reporting companies. To order your annual
free credit report, please visit
www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll free at 1-877-322-8228. Contact information for the three nationwide credit reporting companies is as follows:
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| Equifax, PO Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374, www.equifax.com, 1-800-685-1111 |
| Experian, PO Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013, www.experian.com, 1-888-397-3742 |
| TransUnion, PO Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016, www.transunion.com, 1-800-916-8800 |
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If you believe you are the victim of identity theft or have reason to
believe your personal information has been misused, you should
immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission and/or the Attorney
General’s office in your state. You can obtain information from these
sources about steps an individual can take to avoid identity theft as
well as information about fraud alerts and security freezes. You should
also contact your local law enforcement authorities and file a police
report. Obtain a copy of the police report in case you are asked to
provide copies to creditors to correct your records. Contact information
for the Federal Trade Commission is as follows:
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| Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Response Center, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20580, 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338), www.ftc.gov/idtheft |
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If you are a resident of Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, or Rhode Island, you may contact and obtain information from your state attorney general at:
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Connecticut Attorney General's Office, 55 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106, www.ct.gov/ag, 1-860-808-5318
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Maryland Attorney General's Office, 200 St. Paul Place, Baltimore, MD 21202, www.oag.state.md.us, 1-888-743-0023 or 1-410-576-6300
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Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General, One Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108, www.mass.gov/ago/contact-us.html, 1-617-727-8400
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North Carolina Attorney General's Office, 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699, www.ncdoj.gov, 1-919-716-6400 or 1-877-566-7226
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Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office, 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903, www.riag.ri.gov, 1-401-274-4400
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If you are a resident of Massachusetts or Rhode Island, note that
pursuant to Massachusetts or Rhode Island law, you have the right to
file and obtain a copy of a police report. You also have the right to
request a security freeze.
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If you are a resident of West Virginia, you have the right to ask
that nationwide consumer reporting agencies place “fraud alerts” in
your file to let potential creditors and others know that you may be a
victim of identity theft, as described below. You also have a right to
place a security freeze on your credit report, as described below.
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Fraud Alerts: There are two types of fraud alerts you can place
on your credit report to put your creditors on notice that you may be a
victim of fraud—an initial alert and an extended alert. You may ask that
an initial fraud alert be placed on your credit report if you suspect
you have been, or are about to be, a victim of identity theft. An
initial fraud alert stays on your credit report for at least 90 days.
You may have an extended alert placed on your credit report if you have
already been a victim of identity theft with the appropriate documentary
proof. An extended fraud alert stays on your credit report for seven
years. You can place a fraud alert on your credit report by contacting
any of the three national credit reporting agencies.
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Credit Freezes: You have the right to put a credit freeze, also
known as a security freeze, on your credit file, free of charge, so that
no new credit can be opened in your name without the use of a PIN
number that is issued to you when you initiate a freeze. A security
freeze is designed to prevent potential credit grantors from accessing
your credit report without your consent. If you place a security freeze,
potential creditors and other third parties will not be able to get
access to your credit report unless you temporarily lift the freeze.
Therefore, using a security freeze may delay your ability to obtain
credit.
There is no fee to place or lift a security freeze. Unlike a fraud
alert, you must separately place a security freeze on your credit file
at each credit reporting company. For information and instructions to
place a security freeze, contact each of the credit reporting agencies
at the addresses below:
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| Experian Security Freeze, PO Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013, www.experian.com |
| TransUnion Security Freeze, PO Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016, www.transunion.com |
| Equifax Security Freeze, PO Box 105788, Atlanta, GA 30348, www.equifax.com |
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We
remind you it is always advisable to be vigilant for incidents of fraud
or identity theft by reviewing your account statements and free credit
reports for any unauthorized activity. You may obtain a copy of your
credit report, free of charge, once every 12 months from each of the
three nationwide credit reporting companies. To order your annual free
credit report, please visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll free at 1-877-322-8228. Contact information for the three nationwide credit reporting companies is as follows:
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