Mass. AG Offers Advice To Consumers About The Security Breach Announced By Hannaford Brothers Supermarkets

March 19, 2008 -- BOSTON - On Monday, March 17, 2008, Hannaford Bros. Co. (Hannaford Brothers Supermarkets) announced that it had determined that a breach of its computer system potentially exposed customers’ credit and debit card numbers. annaford states that the unauthorized breach occurred during the time period of December 7, 2007 to March 10, 2008 and involved 4.2 million credit and debit card transactions.

While credit and debit card information may have been compromised, Hannaford states it has no evidence that names or addresses were obtained. There are currently approximately 2,000 cases of reported fraud associated with the data intrusion.

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In light of this recent news, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office offers consumers information on how to protect their credit and debit information against identity theft.

Hannaford has a toll free dedicated customer assistance line for consumers with questions about the data intrusion. Callers from the United States may reach the help line at (866) 591-4580. Hannaford has also posted information on its web site at www.hannaford.com.

To protect against identify theft, consumers who have shopped at the Hannaford Brothers Supermarkets, including stores in New England and New York, the chain’s Sweetbay Supermarkets in Florida and independent stores that sell Hannaford Brothers products ( List of Hannaford Independent Stores ) and used their credit or debit card, to pay for goods purchased, may also wish to take the following cautionary steps:

1. Call one of the three major credit bureaus and place a one-call fraud alert on your credit report:

* Equifax: Call (800) 525-6285, www.equifax.com, or write: P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241.
* Experian: Call (888) 397-3742, www.experian.com, or write: P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013.
* TransUnion: Call (800) 680-7289, www.transunion.com, or write: Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790 Fullerton, CA 92834-6790.

You only need to call one of the three credit bureaus; the one you contact is required by law to contact the other two credit bureaus. This one-call fraud alert will remain in your credit file for at least 90 days. The fraud alert requires creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or increasing credit limits on your existing accounts. When you place a fraud alert on your credit report, you are entitled to order one free credit report from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting agencies.

2. Order a copy of your credit report, and look for unauthorized activity. Look carefully for unexplained activity on your credit report.

3. If there is unexplained activity on your credit report, you may want to place an extended fraud alert on your credit report. If after reviewing your credit report you believe there is unexplained activity, you may want to place an extended fraud alert on your credit report. In order to do this, you need to file a police report with your local police department, keep a copy for yourself, and provide a copy to one of the three major credit bureaus. Then an extended fraud alert can be placed on your credit file for a 7-year period. This will mean that any time a user of your credit report (for instance, a credit company of lender) checks your credit report, it will be notified that you do not authorize any new credit cards, any increase in credit limits, the issuance of a new card on an existing account, or other increases in credit, unless the user takes extra precautions to ensure that it is giving the additional credit to you (and not to an identity thief).

4. Contact the fraud departments of your credit card issuers or bank. You may want to contact the fraud department of the credit card company or bank that you used when you made purchases at Hannaford’s. These financial institutions can monitor your account for suspicious activity. You may also wish to cancel these accounts; you can discuss this option with your credit card company or bank.

5. Immediately examine your bank account for any suspicious activity. Whether you bank online or receive your statement in the mail, you may want to go over your statements with a fine toothed comb to ensure that there is nothing out of the ordinary on them. Report any irregularities to your financial institution.

6. Consider Placing A Security Freeze on Your Credit Reports. Under the new identity theft statute, Massachusetts consumers can place a security freeze on their credit reports. In most instances, a security freeze prohibits a credit reporting agency from releasing any information from your credit report without your written authorization. Consumers should be aware that placing a security freeze on your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prevent the timely approval of any requests they make for new loans, credit mortgages, employment, housing or other lines of credit.

If you have been a victim of identity theft, and you provide the credit reporting agency with a valid police report, it cannot charge you to place, lift or remove a security freeze. In all other cases, a credit reporting agency may charge you $5 fee for each placing, temporary lifting or removing of a security freeze.

To place a security freeze on your credit report, you should send a written request to each of the three nationwide consumer reporting agencies by regular, certified or over night mail at the addresses below:

Equifax Security Freeze
P.O. Box105788
Atlanta, GA 30348

Experian Security Freeze
P.O. Box9554
Allen, TX 75013

TransUnion
Fraud Victim Assistance Department
P.O. Box6790
Fullerton, CA 92834

In order to request a security freeze, you must:

* Provide your full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.,) address,
* Social Security number, and date of birth;
* If you have moved in the past 5 years, supply the addresses where you have lived over the prior 5 years;
* Provide proof of current address such as a current utility bill or phone bill;
* Send a photocopy of a government issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, military identification, etc.);
* If you are a victim of identity theft, include a copy of either the police report; investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft;
* If you are not a victim of identity theft, include payment by check, money order or credit card (Visa, Master Card, American Express, or Discover cards only.) Do not send cash in the mail.

The credit bureaus have three business days after receiving your request to place a security freeze on your credit report. The credit bureaus must also send written confirmation to you within five business days and provide you with a unique personal identification number (PIN) or password that can be used to authorize the removal of the security freeze.

To temporarily remove the security freeze and allow access to your credit report, you should contact the credit bureaus, request that the freeze be lifted, and provide proper identification, the PIN number or password provided to you when you placed the security freeze and the identities of the entities or individuals you would like to receive your credit report or the specific period of time you want the credit report to be made available. You will also need to provide a credit card number and expiration date for payment, if applicable. The credit bureaus have three business days after receiving your request to lift the security freeze for those identified entities or for the specified period of time.

To permanently remove the security freeze, you should contact the three credit bureaus and include proper identification (typically name, address, date of birth, and social security number) and the PIN number or password provided to you when you placed the security freeze. You will also need to provide a credit card number and expiration date for payment, if applicable. The credit bureaus have three business days after receiving your request to remove the security freeze.

If you believe that you have been the victim of identity theft, you will need to take additional steps to protect your credit and your good name. For additional information, consumers may contact the Attorney General’s consumer hotline at (617) 727-8400, or view the Federal Trade Commission’s identity theft resource, available at www.ftc.gov/idtheft/.

Source: Massachusetts Attorney General