What happened?
The Washington State Auditor’s Office (SAO) recently announced that one of their third-party providers experienced a security breach on December 25, 2020. Anyone who filed an unemployment claim between January 1 and December 10, 2020 may have had their name, social security number, driver’s license, and/or banking information compromised. The SAO will contact those who were affected.
More information is available directly at the SAO office at this link.
The SAO will make resources available to help each affected individual take measures to protect their identity. The SAO is currently in the process of arranging for such services and will post that information as soon as it is available.
What steps can you take to protect yourself today?
- Sign up for Canopy Credit Union’s free online banking and mobile app to keep track of your transaction activity and sign up for debit/credit card transaction alerts.
- Review your credit report, looking for suspicious or unknown transactions. Members can get a free credit report once per year from each of the three major credit bureaus at www.annualcreditreport.com.
- Consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze on credit reports if you think your data might have been included in the compromise.
- You can place a freeze on your credit by contacting each of the three credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and Transunion) directly at the following websites and phone numbers:
- Equifax Equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services 800.685.1111
- Experian Experian.com/help 888-EXPERIAN 888.397.3742
- Transunion TransUnion.com/credit-help 888.909.8872
- Contact us to establish a password or passcode on your account to ensure only authorized users can access account information.
- Reduce paper statements by signing up for Bill Pay and eStatements.
Security Tip
Set up alerts and notifications within online and mobile banking to be notified when transactions hit accounts and when balances drop below a certain threshold.
- In online banking go to account services > alerts & text banking
- In our mobile app go to more > click on the gear icon at the top of the screen > turn on push notifications.
- Select the type of alert desired: options include balance updates, low balance, and large withdrawals
Frequently Asked Questions:
What should I do if I see unauthorized transactions?
Contact us immediately with the details of the unauthorized transaction. Be sure to make note if you have any outstanding checks or un-cleared debit card transactions. Also, make a note of any recurring loan payments, ACH deposits or withdrawals, as well as bill pays.
How will I know if my data was compromised in this breach?
Unfortunately, we do not have access to any details about this breach. The SAO will contact you if your data was compromised.
If I was on unemployment and had my benefits direct deposited to another financial institution, what should I do with my Canopy accounts?
Based on the information that the SAO has made publicly available, we believe that the direct deposit bank information may have been compromised. We recommend contacting all of your financial institutions and encourage you to continue to monitor your Canopy Credit Union account and credit reports as well.