Elite Dental General and Family, PLLC d/b/a Virginia Dental Center (hereinafter “Virginia Dental Center” or “Practice”) is aware of an incident that may have affected the security of some of our patients’ and employees’ information. Virginia Dental Center is advising you of its investigation and the steps it has taken in response to the incident. Virginia Dental Center is also providing you with steps you can take to help protect your personal information should you feel it is appropriate to do so.
What Happened?
On October 11, 2020, Virginia Dental Center became aware of suspicious activity in its environment and immediately initiated an investigation into the incident. As part of the investigation, which was conducted with the assistance of third-party forensic specialists, it was determined that unauthorized individuals accessed certain files on Virginia Dental Center’s network between September 18, 2020 and October 13, 2020. Therefore, we conducted a review of the files at risk to identify any individuals whose sensitive information could be impacted. Through the review, Virginia Dental Center determined that information related to certain patients and employees was contained in the files. Although there is no specific evidence indicating that personal information was actually viewed by the unauthorized individuals, and we have seen no evidence to date that any data has been used for malicious purposes, we are providing this notice in an abundance of caution.
What Information Was Involved?
The information that was potentially subject to unauthorized access includes individuals’ name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, driver’s licenses number/ state identification number, passport number, employer and employee identification number, dental diagnosis and treatment information, patient account number, username and password, billing/claims information, dentist’s name, debit/credit card number, bank account number and health insurance information.
What We Are Doing.
Virginia Dental Center takes the security of personal information in its care very seriously. We are providing this notification because patient and employee personal information may have been subject to unauthorized access. As part of our ongoing commitment to the protection of information in our care, we worked with third-party specialists to reaffirm the security of our systems and to enhance the existing measures we have in place. We have already taken and will continue to take steps to help reduce the likelihood of a similar situation in the future. We also notified the United States Department of Health and Human Services and state regulators, as required.
What You Can Do.
We recommend you remain vigilant against attempts to obtain sensitive information through social engineering. In addition, as a best practice, individuals should always carefully review their online accounts for unauthorized activity and report any instances of fraud to law enforcement. Individuals with additional questions can call the dedicated assistance line we established for this incident at (855) 347-6551 (toll free), Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm or Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm Eastern Time.
Steps You Can Take to Protect Personal Information
Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. You may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of your credit report.
Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit. If you are a victim of identity theft, you are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any one of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.
As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a “credit freeze” on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer’s express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. However, you should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, you cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on your credit report. To request a security freeze, you will need to provide the following information:
- Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
- Social Security number;
- Date of birth;
- Addresses for the prior two to five years;
- Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
- A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, military identification, etc.); and
- A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if you are a victim of identity theft.
Should you wish to place a fraud alert or credit freeze, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:
| Equifax | Experian | TransUnion |
|---|---|---|
| https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/ | https://www.experian.com/help/ | https://www.transunion.com/credit-help |
| 888-298-0045 | 1-888-397-3742 | 833-395-6938 |
| Equifax Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348-5069 | Experian Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 | TransUnion Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016 |
| Equifax Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 | Experian Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 | TransUnion Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094 |
Additional Information
You may further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps you can take to protect your personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. You can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. You have the right to file a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some proof that you have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and your state Attorney General. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.
For District of Columbia residents, the District of Columbia Attorney General may be contacted at: 441 4th St. NW #1100 Washington, D.C. 20001; 202-727-3400; and oag@dc.gov.
For Maryland residents, the Maryland Attorney General may be contacted at: 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; 1-410-528-8662 or 1-888-743-0023; and www.oag.state.md.us.
For North Carolina residents, the North Carolina Attorney General may be contacted at: 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; 1-877-566-7226 or 1-919-716-6000; and www.ncdoj.gov.
For Rhode Island residents, the Rhode Island Attorney General may be reached at: 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903; www.riag.ri.gov; and 1-401-274-4400. Under Rhode Island law, you have the right to obtain any police report filed in regard to this incident.
For New Mexico residents, you have rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such as the right to be told if information in your credit file has been used against you, the right to know what is in your credit file, the right to ask for your credit score, and the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. Further, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the consumer reporting bureaus must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information; access to your file is limited; you must give your consent for credit reports to be provided to employers; you may limit “prescreened” offers of credit and insurance you get based on information in your credit report; and you may seek damages from violator. You may have additional rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act not summarized here. Identity theft victims and active duty military personnel have specific additional rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We encourage you to review your rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act by visiting www.consumerfinance.gov/f/201504_cfpb_summary_your-rights-under-fcra.pdf, or by writing Consumer Response Center, Room 130-A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580.
For New York residents, the New York Attorney General may be contacted at: Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224-0341; 1-800-771-7755; or https://ag.ny.gov/.