PROVIDENCE – R.I. Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin has issued some additional tips for consumers to look out for fraudulent activity in the wake of the Equifax data breach.
“Since the Equifax breach … we have received countless calls and emails from consumers who are rightfully angry and frustrated over the lack of information and clarity from the company on how this happened, protections that are being offered and what rights consumers may have against the company,” Kilmartin said in a statement.
The attorney general provided the following tips:
- All consumers should be suspect of emails from government agencies or their financial institutions looking to confirm specific personal information or financial account information.
- Do not trust any unsolicited email, text, or phone call that claims to be from a government agency or financial institution.
- Do not click on a link in any email or text that claims to be from a government agency or financial institution.
- Do not provide personal information over the telephone to someone who contacts you that claims to be from a government agency or a financial institution.
- Always contact your financial institution directly – by phone – to report suspicious activity on your accounts or to confirm whether they sent you a notification.
- Check all your financial accounts daily for suspicious activity and report it immediately to your financial institution.
Rhode Islanders can contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Unit by calling (401) 274-4400, or emailing consumers@riag.ri.gov. To learn more about the Equifax data breach, visit riag.ri.gov/homeboxes/Consumer.php.
