The credit bureau, Equifax, recently identified a cybersecurity event that potentially impacted millions of consumers. This guide is meant to help serve as a resource for your frequently asked questions.

What has happened?
Equifax (one of the major credit reporting agencies) has announced a cybersecurity incident potentially impacting approximately 143 million U.S. consumers. Criminals gained access to files from May through July 2017. The information accessed includes names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some instances, driver’s license numbers.

What should I do to protect myself?
Many security experts are recommending that you put freezes on all three credit bureaus. (This is still recommended even if you also decide to use the free monitoring service offered by Equifax.)

By Indiana law, you can place, remove and replace security freezes at NO charge.

How do I place a freeze and what does it do?
If you wish to place a security freeze, then you would need to do so on each credit bureau. The security freeze will prevent anyone from accessing that credit report. 

1. Equifax: https://www.freeze.equifax.com/Freeze/jsp/SFF_PersonalIDInfo.jsp(link is external). They will give you a 10-digit PIN to use in order to remove or ‘thaw’ the freeze. You will need to retain this PIN.
2. Experian: https://www.experian.com/freeze/center.html(link is external). Experian will allow you to set your PIN. It may be a good idea to set the same PIN as Equifax for simplicity.
3. TransUnion: https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze/place-credit-freeze(link is external). At TransUnion, you will need to set up an account to perform the freeze. Consider setting up the 6-digit PIN to be the first 6 digits of the Equifax/Experian PIN.
4. Innovis: https://www.innovis.com/personal/securityFreeze(link is external)

Each credit bureau will provide a phone number you can call to unfreeze or ‘thaw’ access to your report. If you want to open a new account or apply for credit, you must contact the credit bureau(s) ahead of time (either on the phone or online) and ‘thaw’ your account for a short time. You can set the ‘thaw’ for either a period of time or for a particular creditor. For example, you will want to unfreeze access for Notre Dame Federal Credit Union when you apply for a loan with us.

For more information about security freezes, please see the following fact sheet provided by the Indiana Attorney General’s office: http://www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/files/Security_Freeze_Fact_Sheet.09.pdf(link is external).

Remember to ALSO check your existing accounts online frequently and report any suspicious activity immediately.

Does Notre Dame FCU report my information to Equifax?
Notre Dame FCU reports information to all three of the major credit bureaus, including Equifax. 

What additional resources do you have to help me protect myself?
Please read our other blog posts related to identity theft:

• Identity Theft Resources
• Warning Signs of Identity Theft
• How to Keep Your Identity Private
• Data Theft

Be sure to also download our Irish Card Shield mobile app to protect your Notre Dame FCU debit & credit cards. Turn cards on and off, receive transaction alerts, monitor fraud and even control where your card is used and how much is spent—all from your phone. Visit NotreDameFCU.com/IrishCardShield to learn more.

Where do I go for more information?
Equifax has established a special site with information regarding the breach: https://www.equifaxsecurity2017.com/(link is external).

If you need to contact Notre Dame FCU, please feel free to call or text 800-522-6611, send us an email at [email protected](link sends e-mail) or stop by any of our convenient branches.