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Dear Neighbors,
As our investigation and response to the July 18 cybersecurity incident continues with the support of federal authorities and cybersecurity experts, I am writing to share a brief update.
First and foremost, I want to assure you that we are taking this matter very seriously and our team has been working around the clock to restore all city functions, to be as transparent as possible and support our residents.
To support our residents, the City of Columbus is now offering free Experian credit monitoring to all Columbus residents and anyone who has provided personal information to the City of Columbus. This includes two years of Experian credit monitoring and $1 million of protection against fraud and identity theft.
I encourage everyone to sign up today. To enroll, go to www.columbus.gov/cyber or call 1-833-918-5161 with the code B129832 (or B129988 for anyone under 18) by November 29, 2024. Service begins upon enrollment.
As a reminder, you should always be on the lookout for potential scams and identity theft. Here are some ways you can help protect yourself:
- Do not give out your personal information unsolicited over the phone, email or by text.
- Delete texts from numbers you don’t recognize.
- Do not reply to emails that ask you for money and do not click on links in emails you don’t recognize.
- Use different passwords for your different personal accounts.
- Monitor your bank and credit card statements for unauthorized use, and if you see anything, notify law enforcement and the credit bureaus.
- Obtain a free copy of your credit report by visiting annualcreditreport.com, or calling 1-877-322-8228.
This is an ongoing and rapidly changing criminal investigation that’s being conducted in partnership with our cybersecurity experts and the FBI. We will continue to share updates with the community.
Thank you, again, for your patience and understanding as we navigate this incident, together.
Sincerely,
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