Columbia, South Carolina – According to the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs, over 109,000 individuals across South Carolina have been informed that their personal information may have been exposed in a recent data breach involving a third-party organization.
The agency said that those who were affected will start getting letters letting them know about the breach that happened at 700Credit, a company that provides data and compliance services to vehicle dealerships across the country.
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The draft notice says that names, home addresses, birth dates, and Social Security numbers may have been copied from one of the company’s web apps without permission.
700Credit said that in late October, it found strange things happening on the app. When the activity was found, the company started an internal investigation and hired outside computer forensic experts to find out what happened and if client data had been used inappropriately.
The corporation said that the investigation is now over. Officials said there is no proof that the exposed information was utilized or accessed for fraud, but customers are being informed about it as a safety measure. The Department of Consumer Affairs reported that 108,829 people in South Carolina were affected and that it was officially told of the state-level effect on December 15.
700Credit stated that the event did not affect the security of its larger network. The company added, however, that it is looking over and tightening up its rules on how personal information is maintained and accessible in order to prevent similar events from happening in the future.
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700Credit is giving free credit monitoring services through Cyberscout, a TransUnion partner, to anybody who were affected to help lower the risks. The letters addressed to consumers will offer instructions on how to sign up.
State officials are also encouraging affected residents to closely monitor their financial activity. Consumers should check their credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion on a regular basis for any accounts they don’t recognize or changes that seem strange. If they see anything strange, they should act right away.
