A nationwide security incident has surfaced. You may or may not have been affected, but we want to make you aware of the incident and remind you that you can take steps to help protect yourself.
What happened?
A massive data breach has occurred nationwide. Non-public personal information (NPPI) was stolen from millions of individuals including names, social security numbers, passcodes, email addresses, phone numbers and dates of birth. Bad actors are using the stolen information to commit fraud. Stolen information has been used to fraudulently apply for loans and credit cards at Shore United Bank.
Was there a breach at Shore United Bank that caused my information to be stolen?
No. The stolen identities were not caused by a breach from any Shore United Bank system or an affiliated third party. Our investigation shows the identities were previously stolen and used to apply for a loan or credit card with the bank.
Is a fraudulent loan or credit card currently open with the bank?
No, all potentially fraudulent loan and credit card applications were identified and closed. As a result, you may receive an adverse action notice. If a fraudulent application was submitted in your name or if you submitted a legitimate application during this period, please contact your local branch if you received notice on a legitimate application.
Did this create an inquiry on my credit, causing it to affect my credit score?
If your personal information was fraudulently obtained, and an account was attempted to be opened using your personal information, then yes, this will result in a credit inquiry.
What do I do next?
If you were notified by the bank about a fraudulent loan or credit card application, you should contact the credit bureaus to report the application as fraudulent and note that the account was not opened. Additionally, review your credit report to look for other discrepancies and notify the credit bureau(s) accordingly.
Do you have the credit bureau contact information?
There are three main credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Equifax: www.equifax.com or call 1-800-685-1111
Experian: www.experian.com or call 1-888-397-3742
TransUnion: www.transunion.com or call 1-888-909-8872
Should I consider freezing my credit?
If your NPPI was compromised, or if you think your personal information has been accessed, you should consider requesting a credit freeze with each of the three credit bureaus. Requesting a credit freeze will be important if your Social Security number may have been accessed. When you place a credit freeze, creditors cannot access your credit report. This will keep them from approving new credit accounts in your name, whether they are fraudulent or legitimate.
What is the bank doing to protect customers from incidents like this?
Protecting your privacy is our number one priority every day. Our employees are on heightened alert and will continue to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account or requests changes to an existing account.
Are there additional steps I can take to protect my NPPI?
As always, be diligent about monitoring your credit activity, check to be sure you are updating any software that you use, change your passwords often and watch for any phishing attempts. See more on our Security Tips.
What other tools and resources are available to help protect my NPPI?
ID Navigator by Norton LifeLock
Shore United Bank, through its relationship with Visa, offers eligible VISA cardholders’ access to ID Navigator powered by Norton LifeLock to help keep you informed about potential threats to your identity. Visa cardholders must enroll to use Norton LifeLock, and they can choose the complimentary ID Navigator benefit, or a more robust Norton LifeLock product at a discounted price. Services include dark web monitoring, data breach notifications, stolen wallet assist, one-bureau credit monitoring alerts, privacy monitor, credit/bank/utility account freezes and restoration assist.
Visa cardholders should visit cardbenefitprotect.com and enter their Visa debit or credit card number to confirm eligibility.
- Upon confirmation, you will be directed to a customer Norton LifeLock landing page for benefit enrollment.
- Enter your personal information for monitoring and receive an enrollment confirmation.
Credit Monitoring
Your credit report is available through Shore United Bank's online/mobile banking platforms. Check your report and activity to proactively monitor fraud. If you notice unfamiliar activity or an account has been opened fraudulently, contact the credit bureaus to report the activity as fraud. You may also want to consider freezing your credit with each reporting agency so creditors cannot access your credit report - this will prevent new credit accounts from being opened. The Norton LifeLock product provides links to help with this process.
Other Resources
Individuals are entitled to a free copy of their credit report from each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies once per year. Visit annualcreditreport.com to order reports.
If you think that you may be a victim of identity theft, identitytheft.gov can help you report what happened and create a recovery plan.
Visit our blog page to learn more about Protecting Yourself from Fraud and Scams; Familiarize Yourself with the Latest Cyber Scams; and Understand Cyber Fraud to help Protect your Most Valuable Information.
