Peregrine Corporation Provides Notice of Data Security Incident

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine, Feb. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Peregrine Corporation d/b/a PSL Services ("PSL Services") today announced that a recent event may have impacted the security of personal information relating to certain residents of Maine. While PSL Services is still in the process of identifying impacted individuals in order to send any needed written notification letters regarding the incident, in an abundance of caution they are providing information to the media now about the event and steps individuals may take to better protect their information in the event they were impacted.

What Happened?  On December 17, 2019, PSL Services discovered suspicious activity in an employee's email account. PSL Services immediately launched an investigation into the nature and scope of the incident. As part of the investigation, which is being conducted with the assistance of a third-party forensic specialist, it was determined that a number of PSL Services' employees' email accounts were subject to unauthorized access for periods of time between December 16, 2019 and December 19, 2019.  Therefore, PSL Services is undertaking a time-consuming review of the contents of the email accounts that were accessed to determine if they contain sensitive information.

What Information Was Involved?  PSL Services determined that the type of information potentially at risk may vary by individual and that the following types of information could be impacted: name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, Driver's license number, medical information and Maine Care number.

What PSL Services is Doing.  PSL Services takes this incident and the security of information in its care very seriously. PSL Services is reviewing its existing security measures and working to implement additional safeguards to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. PSL Services is still in the process of reviewing the affected accounts to identify all individuals whose information was potentially impacted by this incident and will be providing written notice and access to free identity protection services to impacted individuals as soon as possible.

At this time, PSL Services has already notified the Office of Civil Rights at US Department of Health and Human Services, the Maine Attorney General, and prominent news media outlets throughout the state of Maine. PSL Services will also continue to notify other appropriate authorities as it learns more.

What Potentially Affected Individuals Can Do. Individuals who believe they may be impacted by this incident can call the dedicated assistance line detailed below or find out more about how to protect against potential identity theft and fraud in the following Steps You Can Take to Protect Against Identity Theft and Fraud.  

For More Information.  We understand that you may have questions about the incident that may not be addressed here. If you have additional questions, or need assistance, please call 844-904-0954, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 am to 6:30 pm Eastern Time.

Steps You Can Take to Protect Against Identity Theft and Fraud

We encourage you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft, to review your account statements, and to monitor your credit reports and explanation of benefits forms for suspicious activity.  Under U.S. law you are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus.  To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com  or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228.  You may also contact the three major credit bureaus directly to request a free copy of your credit report. 

You have the right to place a "security freeze" on your credit report, which will prohibit a consumer reporting agency from releasing information in your credit report without your express authorization.  The security 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 security 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 security freeze on your credit report.  Should you wish to place a security freeze, please contact the major consumer reporting agencies listed below:

In order to request a security freeze, you will need to provide the following information:

1. Your full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. If you have moved in the past five (5) years, provide the addresses where you have lived over the prior five years;
5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver's license or ID card, military identification, etc.);
7. If you are a victim of identity theft, include a copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft;

The credit reporting agencies have one (1) to three (3) business days after receiving your request to place a security freeze on your credit file report, based upon the method of the request.  The credit bureaus must also send written confirmation to you within five (5) business days and provide you with the process by which you may remove the security freeze, including an authentication mechanism.   Upon receiving a direct request from you to remove a security freeze and upon receiving proper identification from you, the consumer reporting agency shall remove a security freeze within one (1) hour after receiving the request by telephone for removal or within three (3) business days after receiving the request by mail for removal. 

As an alternative to a security freeze, you have the right to place an initial or extended "fraud alert" on your 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 agencies listed below:

You can also further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, security freezes, and the steps you can take to protect yourself, by contacting the consumer reporting agencies, your state Attorney General, or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).  The Federal Trade Commission can be reached at:  600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (877-438-4338); and TTY: 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 also obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should be reported to law enforcement and your state Attorney General.  This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.      

SOURCE PSL Services