February 13, 2015
Carson City, NV – Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt warns Nevadans who may have been impacted by the recent Anthem Inc. data breach of a potential phishing e-mail scam targeting current and former members. Anthem Inc. representatives are not currently calling or e-mailing present or former members about the data breach, and do not ask for credit card information or social security numbers by phone or e-mail. The phishing e-mail messages are designed to obtain the recipient’s personal information, and appear to be sent from Anthem Inc. The body of the e-mail contains a link that purports to offer free credit monitoring services, however, the e-mail has no affiliation with Anthem Inc.
“I urge consumers to be wary of potential e-mail phishing scams, regardless of the source,” said Laxalt. “This office will continue to investigate potential scams in an effort to protect Nevada’s consumers.”
Anthem Inc. representatives will only contact current and former members via U.S. Postal Service mail with specific information about how to enroll in credit monitoring. Anthem Inc. plans to launch a website on Feb. 13, 2015 for current and former members who may have been affected by the breach. The website, AnthemFacts.com, will allow consumers to enroll in two years of free credit reporting and identity theft repair services.
If you receive an e-mail from a sender claiming to be Anthem Inc.:
- Do not click on any links in the e-mail.
- Do not reply to the e-mail or reach out to the sender in any way.
- If you mistakenly click on the link provided, do not supply any information on the website.
- Do not open any attachments to the e-mail.
Prior to responding to any e-mail requesting personal information, always verify the source by calling a known and trusted phone number for the sender. Most legitimate businesses will not ask for personal information, such as account numbers, social security numbers, addresses, mother’s maiden name, PINs or other personal information via e-mail or on a website. In order to avoid falling victim to phishing scams, only transmit payment or other information through a secure website, which is denoted by the address https:// and a lock icon in the address bar.
For additional assistance, call the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP or visit the FTC online at http://www.ftc.gov/.
To view an example of the phishing e-mail being circulated for this particular scam, click here.
###