Experian sends Family Secure notifications to taxpayers with minor dependents
Gov. Nikki Haley continues working with law enforcement and business leaders to protect S.C. taxpayers
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governor Nikki Haley today announced that taxpayers affected by the South Carolina Department of Revenue information security breach who claim minors as dependents have begun receiving notification from Experian by email or letter with instructions about how to sign up for Experian’s Family Secure identity monitoring service free of charge for one year.
“We continue to work with law enforcement, legislators and great corporate citizens like Experian to ensure that South Carolina taxpayers have the very best protection available,” said Gov. Haley. “If you claim minors as dependents, you should absolutely take the time to sign them up for identity and credit monitoring through Experian’s Family Secure.”
Experian began notifying individuals by email or letter yesterday, Thursday, November 29. Notifications will be staggered over the next few weeks so South Carolina taxpayers should not be concerned if they do not receive a notice right away. Once notified, individuals may register coverage for himself/herself and any number of minors (five minors can be enrolled via the website; for more than five minors, the adult must call Experian). Family Secure enrollment ends May 31, 2013. To enroll a minor dependent with “Family Secure,” an individual must already be enrolled in Experian’s ProtectMyID and have the minor dependent’s Social Security number, name and date of birth, and must be the minor’s legal parent or guardian.
Family Secure monitors children’s personal information for the existence of a credit file and sends alerts if suspicious activity or signs of identity theft are detected. For minors who have a credit history, Experian will regularly monitor the minor’s credit file to see if any credit, loan, or similar account is opened in the minor’s name. For minors who do not have a credit history, Experian will regularly monitor the minor’s personal information (name, address, date of birth and Social Security number) to see if any credit file is created in the minor’s name.
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