People who were affected by a recent University data breach are being notified about how they can pursue a one-year subscription to a credit monitoring service offered by the University at its expense. Each person is assigned a unique code that provides access to this credit monitoring service.
However, the letters mailed to people on Jan. 10 on behalf of the University from Rust Consulting included an incorrect code. Rust is mailing people the correct code at its expense; those letters will be mailed beginning at the end of the day today (Jan. 17), and recipients should have them next week.
But people do not have to wait for their new code to sign up for credit monitoring. They can call the toll-free number 1-877-432-7463, and a representative will be able to provide them with the correct code. People simply have to give the representative their name and the last four digits of the incorrect code to get the correct one. (For people who call on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Jan. 20, representatives will be available to assist them.)
Anyone who uses an incorrect code to sign up for credit monitoring at https://www.myidmanager.com/promo_code.html will be given the 1-877-432-7463 toll-free number to obtain the correct code.
“I am very sorry that people who have been affected by this data breach have to go through an additional step to be able to take advantage of the free one-year subscription to credit monitoring, and we have stressed to Rust Consulting that getting people accurate, timely information is our top priority,” said Kevin Seitz, interim vice chancellor for Finance and Administration.
Rust Consulting has assured University officials that they understand the urgency and will mail people their correct access codes as quickly as possible. In the letters, the company is apologizing both to the people affected and to the University: “We sincerely regret the error and any inconvenience it has caused for you as well as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Rust Consulting is working diligently to ensure that you can receive free credit monitoring if you so choose.”
Early feedback overall has been positive from people who have tried to use the incorrect code and were directed to call the toll-free number to get their correct code.
Meredith Weiss, associate vice chancellor for business services in Finance and Administration, received an email from one employee stating, “I called the toll-free number that popped up on the website, and a very nice lady gave me the correct code, which worked fine.”