Uber has sent breach notices to U.S. recipients after someone accessed personal information through a technology provider in October. If you received a letter, check which information it lists for you and note the enrollment deadline. Uber is offering affected recipients free credit monitoring and fraud assistance, with enrollment due within 90 days of the date on the letter.
What Uber disclosed
The California attorney general’s filing index lists a Nov. 10 notice from Uber. In the public copy of the letter, Uber says the provider alerted it on Oct. 9. Uber says it cut off the provider’s data connection and confirmed on Oct. 13 that someone had accessed Uber data, including personal information about people who are now receiving notices.
The public letter is a template and omits the details filled in for each recipient. South Carolina’s Department of Consumer Affairs lists 3,430 affected state residents, and Uber’s letter puts the Rhode Island count at about 1,873. Uber did not give a nationwide count in the public notice. The company said it had found no evidence of misuse when it wrote to recipients.
What to do if you receive a letter
Use the activation code in your own notice to enroll with Cyberscout, a TransUnion company. The public template does not specify how long monitoring lasts. Read your letter for the duration and keep a copy. If you get an unexpected text or email about the breach, check the instructions against the regulator’s public copy before entering personal information.
Credit monitoring can tell you when something changes on your credit file. A credit freeze can make it harder for someone to open a new credit account in your name. Freezes are free, and you place one separately with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. If you see an account you didn’t open or another sign of identity theft, report it at IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan. If you see signs that someone used your license information, contact the state agency that issued it.
