Press Release  AG Healey Investigating Data Breach Announced by Anthem Health Care Company

Boston — In the wake of reports of a data breach at health insurer Anthem potentially affecting the personal information, including Social Security numbers, of millions of its customers and employees nationwide, Attorney General Maura Healey announced that her office is investigating the matter and offered consumer advice to protect against identity theft.

“Our office takes reports of this breach seriously and will be investigating the matter. We are actively reaching out to Anthem, insurance providers and other Attorneys General to determine the extent of the breach in Massachusetts, the circumstances behind it, and to attempt to protect Massachusetts consumers.” 

The company reports that it is investigating the exact scope of the breach, and that based on its investigation, it appears that attackers were able to gain unauthorized access to Anthem’s IT system and obtain information from Anthem’s current and former customers, as well as its employees, including names, birthdays, medical IDs/social security numbers, street addresses, email addresses and employment information, including income data.  Anthem reports that there is no evidence at this time that credit card or medical information (such as claims, test results or diagnostic codes) were compromised.

The company has posted information for customers about the breach here.

The AG’s Office offers consumers the following information on how to guard themselves from potential identity theft:

• Order a copy of your credit report, and look for unauthorized activity. Look carefully for unexplained activity on your credit report. You are entitled to one free copy of your credit report every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies. 
• If there is unexplained activity on your credit report, place an extended fraud alert on your credit report;
• Review and monitor your credit and debit card information;
• If you believe you are the victim of identity theft, promptly file and obtain a police report from your local police department; and
• Consider placing a “security freeze” on your credit report by written request to each of the three credit bureaus to prohibit the release of any information from your report without your written authorization.

For further steps to protect themselves, consumers may contact the Attorney General's consumer hotline at (617) 727-8400, review identity theft protection tips at the AG’s website or view the Federal Trade Commission's identity theft resource, available at www.consumer.gov/idtheft/. 

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