ELEPHANT INSURANCE PROVIDES NOTICE OF DATA EVENT

HENRICO, Va., May 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Elephant Insurance, and its subsidiary Apparent Insurance (together, "Elephant Insurance"), values and respects the privacy of information which is why it is providing notice about a recent incident that may involve certain consumer information. This information either relates to current or previous Elephant Insurance customers or is information Elephant Insurance received as part of providing a quote for auto or other insurance coverage. Elephant Insurance is providing information about the incident, its response, and resources available to individuals.

What Happened?  In April 2022, Elephant Insurance identified unusual activity on its network. Elephant Insurance promptly undertook a comprehensive investigation working with third-party specialists, to secure its systems and to confirm the nature and scope of the incident, as well as any impact to information on its network.  The investigation determined that certain consumer information may have been viewed on or copied from Elephant Insurance's network between March 26, 2022 and April 1, 2022. Elephant Insurance undertook a comprehensive review to determine what information was impacted and to whom it related. On April 25, 2022, the review identified the individuals whose information was in the affected data. 

What Information Was Involved?  The investigation determined that the affected information includes name, driver's license number, and date of birth. 

What We Are Doing. Upon identifying unusual system activity, Elephant Insurance took prompt measures to secure its systems, investigate this incident, and determine what information may be affected. Elephant Insurance reported the incident to federal law enforcement and is notifying appropriate state regulatory agencies.  As part of its ongoing commitment to information security, Elephant Insurance is also reviewing and enhancing existing safeguards and procedures. Elephant Insurance is also taking steps to notify individuals and provide them with information and resources, including access to credit monitoring services, that they may use to help protect information.

What You Can Do. Elephant Insurance encourages individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing account statements and monitoring free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors. Individuals should promptly report any activity indicative of identity theft or fraud immediately to law enforcement.  Elephant Insurance also encourages individuals to review the information it is providing regarding Steps Individuals May Take to Protect Information. These details may be found on Elephant Insurance's website at https://www.elephant.com/.

For More Information. Elephant Insurance understands that individuals may have questions that are not addressed in this notice and has established a dedicated assistance line to answer questions. Individuals may contact the dedicated assistance line at (855) 788-2603, which is available from 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM EST Monday through Friday (excluding major U.S. holidays).   

Steps Individuals May Take to Protect Information

Monitor Your Accounts

Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. You may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of your credit report.

Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended "fraud alert" on a credit file at no cost.  An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer's credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer's credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer's identity before extending new credit. If you are a victim of identity theft, you are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any one of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.

As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a "credit freeze" on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer's express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. However, you should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, you cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on your credit report.  To request a security freeze, you will need to provide the following information:

1. Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. Addresses for the prior two to five years;
5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver's license or ID card, etc.); and
7. A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if you are a victim of identity theft.

Should you wish to place a credit freeze or fraud alert, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:

Additional Information

You may further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps you can take to protect your personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. You can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. You have the right to file a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud.  Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some proof that you have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and your state Attorney General. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.

For District of Columbia residents, the District of Columbia Attorney General may be contacted at: 400 6th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001; 202-727-3400; and oag@dc.gov.

For Maryland residents, the Maryland Attorney General may be contacted at: 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; 1-410-528-8662 or 1-888-743-0023; and www.oag.state.md.us. Elephant Insurance is located at 9950 Mayland Drive, Suite 400, Henrico, VA 23233.

For New Mexico residents, you have rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such as the right to be told if information in your credit file has been used against you, the right to know what is in your credit file, the right to ask for your credit score, and the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information.  Further, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the consumer reporting bureaus must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information; access to your file is limited; you must give your consent for credit reports to be provided to employers; you may limit "prescreened" offers of credit and insurance you get based on information in your credit report; and you may seek damages from violator. You may have additional rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act not summarized here. Identity theft victims and active duty military personnel have specific additional rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We encourage you to review your rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act by visiting www.consumerfinance.gov/f/201504_cfpb_summary_your-rights-under-fcra.pdf, or by writing Consumer Response Center, Room 130-A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580.

For New York residents, the New York Attorney General may be contacted at: Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224-0341; 1-800-771-7755; or https://ag.ny.gov/.

For North Carolina residents, the North Carolina Attorney General may be contacted at: 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; 1-877-566-7226 or 1-919-716-6000; and www.ncdoj.gov.

For Rhode Island residents, the Rhode Island Attorney General may be reached at: 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903; www.riag.ri.gov; and 1-401-274-4400.  Under Rhode Island law, you have the right to obtain any police report filed in regard to this incident. The number of Rhode Island residents impacted by this incident is not yet known.

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SOURCE Elephant Insurance