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Virginia ChoicePoint Information
The Office of the Attorney General recently received notice from ChoicePoint, an informational database clearinghouse, about the possible compromise of approximately 1500 Virginians’ personal information due to a security breach at ChoicePoint. Attorney General Jagdmann has written each of these Virginians. We are currently working with other law enforcement agencies across the country to investigate any identity theft which may have taken place and take appropriate action.
The Attorney General’s office is committed to prosecuting identity thieves to the fullest extent of the law in Virginia. The Office of Attorney General is authorized, by law, to investigate and prosecute identity theft and computer crimes. Our Computer Crime Unit is staffed with prosecutors and investigators for just that purpose.
The Attorney General’s Office is concerned about this situation and want to also share with you tools available to you as a Virginian. Our Identity Theft Guide for Victims contains many preventative measures you may take as well as actions to pursue if you believe you are the victim of Identity Theft.
In today’s computer-driven economy, a thief can open accounts or purchase merchandise with a click of the mouse within seconds of obtaining information. Therefore, we urge you to be proactive in protecting your credit history and good name and immediately contact each of the three major credit reporting agencies, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, to request a credit report. Should you find evidence of fraudulent activity, contact local law enforcement to report Identity Theft.
You may also apply for a Virginia Identity Theft Passport which will enable you to show that you have filed a police report to law enforcement or others who may challenge your identity. If you would like to learn more about the Identity Theft Passport, click here.
The Identity Theft Protection Act of 2003 provides Virginia citizens with numerous strengthened protections against identity theft. Under Virginia law, credit reporting agencies are required to block the reporting of any credit information within 30 days of a consumer providing a copy of a police report alleging identity theft.
We will continue our efforts to fight identity theft and to protect the citizens of Virginia from the misuse of their personal identifying information.
If you would like to learn more about Identity Theft Issues, please click here.
If you have further questions or would like a hard copy of any of these publications please write to us at cybercrime@oag.state.va.us
If you would like to learn more about ChoicePoint, please visit their website at http://www.choicepoint.com/privacyatchoicepoint/consumers.html
Virginia LexisNexis Information
The Office of the Attorney General recently received notice from LexisNexis, a legal, news, public records and business information database, about the possible compromise of approximately 500 Virginians’ personal information due to a security breach at LexisNexis. Attorney General Jagdmann has written each of these Virginians. We are currently working with other law enforcement agencies across the country to investigate any identity theft which may have taken place and take appropriate action.
The Attorney General’s office is committed to prosecuting identity thieves to the fullest extent of the law in Virginia. The Office of Attorney General is authorized, by law, to investigate and prosecute identity theft and computer crimes. Our Computer Crime Unit is staffed with prosecutors and investigators for just that purpose.
The Attorney General’s Office is concerned about this situation and wants to also share tools available to you as a Virginian. Our Identity Theft Guide for Victims contains many preventative measures you may take as well as actions to pursue if you believe you are the victim of Identity Theft.
In today’s computer-driven economy, a thief can open accounts or purchase merchandise with a click of the mouse within seconds of obtaining information. Therefore, we urge you to be proactive in protecting your credit history and good name and immediately contact each of the three major credit reporting agencies, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, to request a credit report. Should you find evidence of fraudulent activity, contact local law enforcement to report Identity Theft.
You may also apply for a Virginia Identity Theft Passport which will enable you to show that you have filed a police report to law enforcement or others who may challenge your identity. If you would like to learn more about the Identity Theft Passport, click here.
The Identity Theft Protection Act of 2003 provides Virginia citizens with numerous strengthened protections against identity theft. Under Virginia law, credit reporting agencies are required to block the reporting of any credit information within 30 days of a consumer providing a copy of a police report alleging identity theft.
We will continue our efforts to fight identity theft and to protect the citizens of Virginia from the misuse of their personal identifying information. If you would like to learn more about Identity Theft Issues, please click here.
If you have further questions or would like a hard copy of any of these publications please write to us at cybercrime@oag.state.va.us
If you would like to learn more about LexisNexis, please visit their website at http://www.lexisnexis.com/. More information about the recent compromise of personal information can be found at http://privacyfacts.lexisnexis.com/consumerswletter/index.html
Excerpt from LexisNexis’ March 9, 2005 press release:
Information on approximately 32,000 individuals may have been fraudulently accessed in these incidents. LexisNexis very much regrets this and will be notifying all the individuals concerned and providing them with ongoing credit monitoring and practical support to ensure that any identity theft is quickly detected and addressed. Any further instances that emerge from the ongoing review will likewise be handled as quickly and as sensitively as possible. The information accessed includes names, addresses, social security and drivers' license numbers, but not credit history, medical records or financial information.
This information and more can be found at http://www.lexisnexis.com/about/releases/0779.asp