LANSING, Mich. – More than eight-thousand people with jobless benefits have been exposed in Michigan, according to the Unemployment Insurance Agency.
The following information was posted to the agency’s website Thursday:
JPMorgan Chase has notified the Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) that some of the personal information of some users of the UIA’s debit card for unemployment benefits may have been viewed by an unauthorized party on the bank’s servers. Michigan offers debit cards from Chase as one option for those receiving unemployment benefits.
Chase said it detected the issue on September 17, 2013. It fixed the issue and law enforcement was notified. Chase notified the UIA of the incident on December 3, 2013. According to Chase, approximately 8,500 UIA debit card users who accessed the Chase bank website between mid-July and mid-September may have been affected. The personal information that may have been exposed includes social security numbers, bank account numbers, passwords, home and e-mail addresses and phone numbers.
Chase will notify the affected cardholders in a letter sent by email. The UIA will also contact its affected customers via email beginning today.
“The UIA is deeply concerned about this incident,” said Shaun Thomas, director of the Unemployment Insurance Agency. “We’re encouraging our customers to take advantage of the free credit monitoring services that will be provided at Chase’s expense.”
Affected customers are being urged to take advantage of the credit monitoring service ITAC Sentinel Plus. They may enroll online at www.itacsentinel.com/alert or call 1-866-746-4253. Customers must have the redemption code referenced in their notification by Chase.
Michigan’s UIA claimants are among about 465,000 cardholders nationwide who may have had their personal data potentially compromised.
“We have worked closely with JP Morgan Chase to share our concern about the delayed notification and to ensure that the state receives immediate notice of future problems,” said Dan Lohrmann, Chief Security Officer for the State of Michigan within the state’s Department of Technology, Management and Budget. “We work around the clock to keep citizen information and data protected, and I feel confident that everyone involved in this event understands the importance of protecting personal information.”
For information on ways to reduce the risk of identity theft, visit the Michigan Department of Attorney General’s “Identity Theft Information for Michigan Consumers” website at this address: www.michigan.gov/ag/0,4534,7-164-17337_20942-230557–,00.html and visit the Federal Trade Commission’s Privacy and Identity webpage at www.consumer.ftc.gov/topics/privacy-identity.
For questions regarding the Chase security incident, or enrolling in the two years of free credit monitoring; please contact Chase Bank at 1-866-849-5255.
