HARTFORD — Attorney General George Jepsen is encouraging all Connecticut residents affected by the recent T-Mobile and Experian data breach to take advantage of the free credit monitoring services being offered.

“This breach is especially concerning because sensitive information, including Social Security numbers were compromised, and my office has launched an investigation into this breach,” said Attorney General Jepsen, who sent letters on October 7 to both companies seeking information as part of his investigation. “While we seek to learn how this breach happened and what the companies are doing to prevent any future breaches, it’s important that Connecticut consumers take steps to protect themselves.”

On October 1, T-Mobile notified the Attorney General that consumer data being handled on its behalf by Experian had been part of a security breach. Nationwide, the breach affected a total of 15,091,000 consumers, including 142,789 Connecticut residents.

In its notification, T-Mobile said that information provided by consumers when they applied for a T-Mobile account – including name, address, Social Security number, date of birth and additional information – was likely accessed. The company said that payment card or banking information was not compromised in the breach.

In the wake of the breach, the companies are providing two years of free credit monitoring and identity resolution services to affected consumers. Those who believe they may have been affected by this incident can obtain more information or enroll in these services by:

*Visiting ProtectMyID.com/SecurityIncident;

*Calling 866-369-0422 to enroll in ProtectMyID or the alternative identity protection product, provided by CSID; or

*Sending an email with questions to consumersupport@protectmyid.com.

To enroll in CSID, the alternative identity protection product being offered, call 866-369-0422 to get a one-time activation code. Enrollment can then be completed at protectmyid.com/alt.

Affected consumers should be cautious about unsolicited emails or phone calls seeking personal information or emails that look legitimate but are not. Monitor credit report for any suspicious activity; credit reports can be obtained for free through annualcreditreport.com. Those who believe they have been a victim of identity theft or fraud should contact their local police department immediately.

Identity theft victims can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission by visiting ftc.gov/complaint or calling 1-877-438-4338.

More information about identity theft is available from the Federal Trade Commission at identitytheft.gov.  Consumers with questions about this data breach can contact the AG Jepsen’s office at 860-808-5318 or attorney.general@ct.gov.

Assistant Attorneys General Michele Lucan and Matthew Fitzsimmons, head of the Privacy and Data Security Department, are assisting the Attorney General with this matter.