LANSING (WWJ) - Former and present students of Hope College in West Michigan are being encouraged to protect their identifies after personal information was exposed in a recent data breach earlier this month.
Attorney General Dana Nessel said students of the college who believed they were impacted by the breach should take necessary steps to protect themselves from identity theft.
"While bad actors may have access to your information as a result of this breach, there are ways to protect yourself if your information was compromised," Nessel said in a prepared statement.
Hope College reported the massive breach on Dec. 15 after they discovered an unauthorized party gained access to their confidential files. Nessel's office said full names, dates of birth, Social Security Numbers, driver's license and student identification numbers may have been compromised.
Nessel urges anyone who received a notice from Hope College about the breach take the following steps:
• Monitor your credit. Credit monitoring services track your credit report and alert you whenever a change is made, such as a new account or a large purchase. Most services will notify you within 24 hours of any change to your credit report.
• Consider placing a free credit freeze on your credit report. Identity thieves will not be able to open a new credit account in your name while the freeze is in place. You can place a credit freeze by contacting each of the three major credit bureaus:
Equifax | online or by calling 888-766-0008
Experian | online or by calling 888-397-3742
TransUnion | online or by calling 800-680-7289
• Place a fraud alert on your credit report. A fraud alert tells lenders and creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity before issuing credit. You can place a fraud alert by contacting any one of the three major credit bureaus.
• If believe you are a victim of identity theft, visit the Federal Trade Commission's website for assistance on how to report it and recover from it—or contact the Attorney General's Office for help.
According to Nessel's office, Hope College is offering 12-months of free credit monitoring service to those who may be affected. Those with any questions or concerns related to the breach can call 833-540-0798.
You can learn more about the State's identity theft resources on the Department of Attorney General website.
