May Institute Provides Notice of Data Security Incident

February 12, 2024 - May Institute is providing notice of a recent data security incident that may impact information of certain individuals that received services from the May Institute. May Institute is providing notice of the incident so potentially affected individuals may take steps to better protect their information from misuse, should they feel it appropriate to do so.

What Happened? On December 14, 2023, May Institute identified suspicious activity within its computer network. May Institute immediately took steps to secure its network and commenced an investigation into the nature and scope of the activity. The investigation determined that certain files within its network were potentially accessed or taken by an unauthorized actor on December 5, 2023. May Institute is currently reviewing the potentially accessed or taken information to determine the type of information and to whom it relates.

What Information Was Involved? The information potentially affected varies by individual. The types of information may include: name, date of birth, health information, billing information, and/or Social Security number.

What May Institute Is Doing. The confidentiality, privacy, and security of information within its care are among May Institute’s highest priorities. Upon discovering the incident, May Institute promptly launched an investigation to determine what data may be at risk. As part of its ongoing commitment to the security of information within its care, May Institute is working to review its existing policies and procedures and implement additional safeguards. May Institute also provided notice to federal law enforcement and will be providing notice to federal and state regulators, as required.

For More Information. May Institute established a dedicated call center for individuals to contact with questions or concerns. If you have any questions regarding this incident, please call 1-800-939-4170. May Institute sincerely regrets that this incident occurred and remains committed to safeguarding the privacy and security of information we collect.

What Are General Steps One Can Take to Protect Personal Information? May Institute encourages individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing their account statements and explanation of benefits and monitoring their free credit reports to identify suspicious activity and detect errors.

Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. Consumers may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of their credit report.

Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a one-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit. If consumers are the victim of identity theft, they are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should consumers wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.

As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a “credit freeze” on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer’s express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in a consumer’s name without consent. However, consumers should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in their credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application they make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, consumers cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on their credit report. To request a credit freeze, individuals may need to provide some or all of the following information:

1.    full name (including middle initial as well as jr., sr., ii, iii, etc.);
2.    Social security number;
3.    date of birth;
4.    addresses for the prior two to five years;
5.    proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6.    a legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver’s license or id card, etc.); and
7.    a copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if they are a victim of identity theft.

Should consumers wish to place a credit freeze or fraud alert, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:

Equifax	Experian	TransUnion
https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/	https://www.experian.com/help/	https://www.transunion.com/credit-help
1-888-298-0045	1-888-397-3742	1-800-916-8800
Equifax Fraud Alert P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348-5069	Experian Fraud Alert P.O. Box 9554 Allen, TX 75013	TransUnion Fraud Alert P.O. Box 2000 Chester, PA 19016
Equifax Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348-5788	Experian Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 9554 Allen, TX 75013	TransUnion Credit Freeze P.O. Box 160 Woodlyn, PA 19094

 

Consumers may further educate themselves regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps they can take to protect your personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or their state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. Consumers can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. Consumers have the right to file a police report if they ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, consumers will likely need to provide some proof that they have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and the relevant state Attorney General. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.