Amanda Forrester / news@whmi.com

Credit bureau TransUnion suffered a data breach this summer, prompting Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to issue a consumer alert warning.

The breach, which took place in July, involved unauthorized access through a third-party application, according to Nessel’s press release.

More than 4.4 million people were impacted. Compromised data included names, Social Security numbers and dates of birth. TransUnion said no credit information was accessed.

Those impacted are being notified by TransUnion via mail. Affected individuals will receive 24 months of free credit monitoring services that will provide alerts regarding changes to their credit file, along with proactive fraud assistance.

Most states have laws that require the Department of the Attorney General to be notified, including the number of residents affected. Michigan doesn’t have such a law, so the number of those in the state that are impacted is unknown.

“Michigan constantly rates among the top 20 states for identity theft reports, and data breaches like these only increase the risks for consumers,” Nessel said. “This is why I have long supported stronger data breach notification laws that would give us greater ability to track breaches, hold companies accountable and better protect Michigan consumers. I urge residents to be vigilant and take advantage of the resources available to help safeguard their personal information.”

Officials recommend the following steps to protect themselves during a data breach:

- Watch out for phishing emails.

- Strengthen or change passwords.

- Do not retain unnecessary data or files.

- Use multifactor authentication on devices and accounts.

- Review their credit report often. Take advantage of free weekly credit reports from each of the three main credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) by contacting the Annual Credit Report website.

A freeze can also be put on a person’s credit. Nessel said this is especially important when Social Security numbers are included in a breach. A credit freeze prevents creditors, such as banks or lenders, from being able to access someone’s credit reports. This prevents identity thieves from being able to take out new loans or credit cards in another person’s name by preventing creditors from being able to access their credit reports. Credit bureaus are required by law to allow an individual to place, temporarily lift or remove a credit freeze for free. Credit freezes must be done with each bureau.

More information about credit breaches and how to stay safe can be found at the link below.

(photo credit: Office of the Michigan Attorney General)