The City College of New York

Page Content   Footer Links

Protecting Your Identity

GO TO CCNY’S NEW SITE »

For Current Students

FAQs ABOUT IDENTITY THEFT AND PROTECTING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

Q. How do I know if my information was compromised?
Q. Is my personal information at risk?
Q. What personal information should I monitor regularly?
Q. What else can I do?
Q. How do I get my free annual credit reports?
Q. What steps is City College taking to protect confidential student information?
Q. What steps is City College taking to prevent thefts of office equipment?
Q. Should I use a credit monitoring service?
Q. Will City College pay for a credit monitoring service?
Q. Who do I contact at City College if I have questions?

___________________________________________________________________________

Q. How do I know if my information was on the stolen computers?
A. All affected individuals whose information may have been affected by an action taken by the College, including computer theft or human error, receives a letter from The City College of New York immediately after the breach
___________________________________________________________________________

registrar_up_arrow
Q. Is my personal information at risk?
A. The College has not received any report that any incident has resulted in any identity theft. (In the case of a computer theft, we believe, although we cannot be certain, that the thefts were targeting the computers because of the high equipment value rather than any data on the computers. However, we are encouraging affected individuals to consider taking appropriate precautions, just in case.
___________________________________________________________________________
Q. What personal information should I monitor regularly?
A. Early detection of a potential identity theft or credit fraud can make a big difference. Keep an eye out for any suspicious activity by monitoring your financial accounts and billing statements regularly, looking closely for charges you did not make.
___________________________________________________________________________

Q. What else can I do?
A. Three national consumer credit reporting agencies provide free fraud alert services. You can immediately call or write any of them, listed below, to have a security or fraud alert placed on your account for 90 days.

  • Equifax: 800-525-6285; www.equifax.com:
    PO Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374
  • Experian: 888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742); www.experian.com:
    PO Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013
  • TransUnion: 800-680-7289; www.transunion.com;
    Fraud Victim Assistance Division
    PO Box 6790< Fullerton, CA 92834

Most importantly, visit  the Federal Trade Commission’s site about how to protect your identity.
___________________________________________________________________________

Q. How do I get my free annual credit reports?
A. Visit www.annualcreditreport.com, call toll-free 877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. You can print the form from the website.

Note: Do not contact the three nationwide consumer reporting companies (listed above) individually. They provide free annual credit reports only through www.annualcreditreport.com, 877-322-8228, and Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

___________________________________________________________________________

Q. What steps is City College taking to protect confidential student information?
A. City College is taking immediate measures to ensure that this kind of incident is not repeated. We are working with our IT Security and Public Safety Offices to ensure that computers and confidential information are secured.
___________________________________________________________________________

Q. What steps is City College taking to prevent thefts of office equipment?
A. We have reported the thefts to the New York City Police Department and our Public Safety Office is working collaboratively with them.
___________________________________________________________________________

Q. Should I use a credit monitoring service?
A. There are a variety of commercial services that, for a fee, will monitor your credit reports for activity and alert you to changes to your accounts. Prices and services vary widely. Many of the services only monitor one of the three major consumer reporting companies. If you’re considering signing up for a service, check out the company with your local Better Business Bureau, consumer protection agency and state Attorney General to see if they have any complaints on file.
___________________________________________________________________________

Q. Will City College pay for a credit monitoring service?
A. Not at this time. We are providing practical information about available services for individuals who may not already know about them who may wish to use them.
___________________________________________________________________________

Q. Who do I contact at City College if I have questions?
A. If you have any questions about this information, or if you wish to speak with someone at the College who can advise you about these matters, please call or come by the Office of Student Affairs in the Wille Administration Building, Room 204, telephone: 212-650-5426.

Footer Links

The City College of New York

160 Convent Avenue
New York, NY 10031
(212) 650 7000

Find us on:
© Copyright, The City College of The City University of New York. All rights reserved.
Website Powered by: CommonSpot
Text Only Options

Top of page


Text Only Options

Open the original version of this page.

Usablenet Assistive is a UsableNet product. Usablenet Assistive Main Page.