Attorney General Racine Alerts District Consumers to Protect Their Identities in Wake of Anthem Insurance Hack

AG Advises District Residents Who May Have Been Exposed of Ways to Limit Damage

Washington, DC – Attorney General Karl A. Racine today alerted District residents who may have been affected by the recently reported hacker attack of Anthem, the nation’s second-largest health insurer, that they need to ensure the security of their personal and financial information. As many as 80 million customers – including District residents – had account information stolen. The information includes names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, addresses and employment information.

“It is important for all District residents to guard their identities and credit from those who would defraud them,” Attorney General Racine said. “There are multiple resources available to you if you have reason to believe you’ve been exposed in this particular hack. But it is also good practice for every resident of the District to monitor their credit regularly.” 

For those who believe their personal information might have been exposed in this incident or in any other, there are several resources available online:

  • Freeze your credit: A credit freeze or security freeze allows consumers to limit access to their credit report, making it more difficult for would-be for identity thieves to use your name to open new accounts. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) offers a helpful Frequently Asked Questions page about whether and how to freeze your credit here.
  • Place a fraud alert on your banking and credit accounts: For those who would rather stop short of a credit freeze, you can place a 90-day fraud alert on your accounts – making it more difficult for would-be criminals to open new accounts in your name. FTC information on fraud alerts is available here.
  • Review your credit report periodically: Whether or not you believe your personal information may have been exposed in an incident such as the Anthem hack, it is a good idea for all consumers to review their credit reports on a regular basis. Federal law allows you to get a free copy of your report once a year from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus. Go to annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.
  • If you find an account on your credit report you don’t remember opening: If you don’t recognize an account that appears on your report, it could be an incident of identity theft. For more information on identity theft, please visit the FTC’s identity theft resource page.

For Anthem customers:

  • Anthem has established a website where members can find information specific to that company’s data breach. In addition, the FTC offers resources that can help you learn more about securing your privacy and identity.

If you are a District resident who has further questions:

  • District residents who have further questions about identity theft, online security or other consumer-protection issues can visit OAG’s resource page for consumers; call OAG’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 202-442-9828; or send an e-mail to consumer.protection@dc.gov.