Tipton County Schools

Date: January 24, 2017

NOTICE OF DATA BREACH Dear Employee: We are contacting you about a data breach that has occurred at Tipton County Schools. What Happened: The data breach occurred on January 23, 2017 when a PDFdocument containing information from the Forms W-2 of Tipton County School employees was e-mailed to a person or entity fraudulently posing asthe director of schools. We do not know if the stolen information has been misused. What Information Was Involved: This incident involved your social security number and financial information related to your earnings for federal income tax purposes. What We Are Doing: •

The breach was reported to the Tipton County Sheriff's Department on January 23 within one hour of the time the fraudulent e-mail was sent to Tipton County Schools. The Sheriff's Department hasalready secured a Circuit Court Orderto learn the identityofthe owner of the e-mail account from which the fraud was perpetrated. We are continuing to give full assistanceand cooperation to the investigation by law enforcement.

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We are contacting local banks to report the data breach and ask their assistance in monitoring your account for improper activity.

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We are contacting the IRSto determine whether there are steps the district might take to help prevent fraudulent tax returns.

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We are continuing to investigate options to assist you in protecting your private information.

What You Can Do: •

We recommend that you place a fraud alert on your credit file. A fraud alert tells creditors to contact you before they open any new accounts or change your existing accounts. Call anyone of the three major credit bureaus. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the others are notified to place fraud alerts. The initial fraud alert stays on your credit report for 90 days. You can renew it after 90 days. Equifax: equifax.com or 1-800-525-6285 Experian: experian.com or 1-888-397-3742 TransUnion: transunion.com or 1-800-680-7289

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Request that all three credit reports be sent to you, free of charge, for your review. Even if you do not find any suspicious activity on your initial credit reports, the Federal

Trade Commission (FTC) recommends that you check your credit reports periodically. Thieves may hold stolen information

to use at different times. Checking your credit

reports periodically can help you spot problems and address them quickly. •

If you find suspicious activity on your credit reports or have reason to believe your information

is being misused, file a police report and call Brandon Matlock at 901-475-

3300. Be sure to reference TCSO#1701231600. Get a copy of the police report; you may need it to clear up the fraudulent •

If your personal information

debts.

has been misused, visit the FTC's site at IdentityTheft.gov

to get recovery steps and to file an identity theft complaint. Your complaint will be added to the FTC's Consumer Sentinel Network, where it will be accessible to law enforcers for their investigations. •

You also may want to consider contacting the major credit bureaus at the telephone numbers above to place a credit freeze on your credit file. A credit freeze means potential creditors cannot get your credit report. That makes it less likely that an identify thief can open new accounts in your name. The cost to place and lift a freeze is minimal per state law. (See Tenn. Code Ann. §47-18-2108j Find additional information at http://www.tn.gov/assets/entities/attorneygeneral/attachments/pr15-20.pdf.

We have posted a copy of Identity Theft: A Recovery Plan, a comprehensive guide from the FTC

to help you guard against and deal with identity theft on the Tipton County Schools website or contact your principal or supervisor for a copy. Other Important Information: You may also want to contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 1-800-908-4490 and or view the IRSTaxpayer Guide to Identify Theft at https://www.irs.gov/uac/taxpayer-guide-to-identity-theft-1. For More Information: Pleasecall the Finance Manager or Personnel Supervisor at 901-4767148. Any additional information from Tipton County Schoolswill be shared through the district e-mail system or, for those who do not have a district e-mail address, by a letter delivered to you by your principal or immediate supervisor. letters will be mailed to employees who are absent for an extended period of approved leave or other reason. As director of schools, I urge you to usethe information enclosed and to visit the federal website at IdentityTheft.gov. We sincerelyregretthis incidentandwill keepyou fully advised. Sincerelj(,

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4tU-_·z~'Z.-uDr. William E. Bibb Director, Tipton County Schools