For over 80 years, Communication Federal Credit Union has shared a commitment to serving our local communities and members. This includes a commitment to protect the information of our members and employees, and we have invested a great deal in measures designed to protect this information. Unfortunately, as is the case with many organizations regardless of their level of security, we recently experienced a cybersecurity incident.

We took immediate action to respond to and investigate the incident. While that process was ongoing, we posted information about this incident to our website on February 21, 2024. We are now providing this updated notice to share more information on what happened and what we are doing in response.

What Happened

We identified suspicious activity on our network systems on January 11, 2024, and we took immediate steps to secure our network systems and investigate the incident. We subsequently determined that an unauthorized third party gained access to a portion of our computer network. Based on our investigation, we believe the unauthorized access occurred from December 31, 2023 to January 11, 2024. Once we identified the affected files, we promptly engaged a data-review firm to determine what information was contained in those files. We received the results of that review on July 15, 2024, and we have been working diligently since then to determine who needs notice.

What Information was Involved

The affected files included information such as names, birthdates, address, government identification (such as a driver’s license or Social Security number), and financial information (such as a bank account and bank card numbers).

What We are Doing

We have security measures in place that allow us to take prompt action against attempted intrusions into our systems. Those measures reduced the scope of the incident, and there was no impact to our business operations or our ability to deliver services to our members. We also hired third-party experts to address this situation, perform an investigation into the unauthorized activity, and further secure our systems to help protect the information we maintain. We also notified law enforcement, which did not delay this notification. We will begin sending notice to impacted individuals in the near future.

What You can Do

If you receive a letter from us about the incident, please read the information in that letter carefully, as it contains important steps that you can take. Until then, we encourage individuals to (1) remain vigilant for the next twelve to twenty-four months for unauthorized financial activity by reviewing account statements and free credit reports, (2) consider placing a fraud alert or security freeze on their credit file, and (3) immediately report any suspicious activity or suspected incidents of identity theft to the credit union and law enforcement. You can also find additional steps at www.IdentityTheft.gov/.

For More Information

We have established a toll-free call center to support you and answer your questions about the incident and this notice. The call center can be reached at (888) 815-1120. Representatives are available at that number from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Central Time. We appreciate your patience as we work through this process.

Additional Resources

Contact information for the three nationwide credit reporting agencies:

  • Equifax, PO Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374, www.equifax.com, (800) 685-1111.
  • Experian, PO Box 2104, Allen, TX 75013, www.experian.com, (888) 397-3742.
  • TransUnion, PO Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016, www.transunion.com, (800) 888-4213.

 

Remain vigilant – Review your account statements and free credit reports.

  • You should confirm that your financial institutions have the correct address on file for you and that all charges on your accounts are legitimate. If you discover errors or suspicious activity, you should immediately contact the financial institution and inform them that you have received this letter.
  • You should obtain and review a free copy of your credit report by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com or calling (877) 322-8228. You may obtain a copy of your credit report, free of charge, once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies. We recommend you do so and if the report is incorrect, you should contact the appropriate consumer reporting agency—Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion.

 

Consider placing a fraud alert or security freeze on your credit file – Consumer reporting agencies have tools you can use to protect your credit, including fraud alerts and security freezes.

  • A fraud alert is a cautionary flag you can place on your credit file to notify companies extending you credit that they should take special precautions to verify your identity. A fraud alert is free and will stay on your credit report for one (1) year. The alert informs creditors of possible fraudulent activity within your report and requests that the creditor contact you prior to establishing any new accounts in your name. You can contact any of the three consumer reporting agencies to place fraud alerts with each agency. Additional information is available at www.annualcreditreport.com.
  • A security freeze is a more dramatic step that will prevent others from accessing your credit report, which will prevent them from extending you credit. You must contact each consumer reporting agency separately to order a security freeze, and they may require you to provide them with your full name, Social Security number, date of birth, and current and previous addresses. You can obtain more information about security freezes by contacting the consumer reporting agencies or the Federal Trade Commission.

 

Federal Trade Commission

  • If you believe you are the victim of identity theft or have reason to believe your personal information has been misused, you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission. Online guidance regarding steps you can take to protect against identity theft is available from the FTC at the website listed below.
  • You may wish to review the tips provided by the FTC on fraud alerts, security/credit freezes and steps you can take to avoid identity theft. For more information and to contact the FTC, please visit www.ftc.gov/idtheft or call (877)-ID-THEFT ((877) 438-4338). You may also contact the FTC at Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580.