City of College Station

Only affected College Station Utility customers were mailed a notice of data security event. Notices were mailed by regular mail on January 17, 2020. 

WHAT HAPPENED?
College Station was informed of a potential data security issue with Click2Gov, a third-party payment system the City uses to process utility payments. College Station immediately launched an investigation with the assistance of a computer forensic investigation firm to determine the nature and scope of the security issue, and ensured the Click2Gov payment portal was disabled on November 15, 2019. College Station, working with third party forensic investigators, identified signs of malicious code on the checkout page of the Click2Gov payment portal. On or about December 11, 2019, the investigation determined this code was capable of capturing certain information entered into the checkout page of the Click2Gov payment portal between August 30 and October 14, 2019. Upon making the determination of when the malicious code was present on the Click2Gov portal, College Station reviewed its transaction records to determine the identities of customers whose payment card information may have been affected.

WHAT INFORMATION WAS INVOLVED?
We determined some customers’ information was entered on the Click2Gov portal during the period of time the malicious code was present. The information potentially captured by the code includes the customer’s name, address, credit card number, expiration date, and CVV.

WHAT WE ARE DOING?
We take this incident and the security of our customers’ information very seriously. We conducted a thorough review of the affected system and are implementing additional security measures to reduce the likelihood of a similar incident happening in the future. We are providing notice of this incident to those who may have been affected so they can take steps to prevent possible fraud, should they feel it is necessary to do so. We will also notify any required state regulators about this incident.

WHAT YOU CAN DO?
Customers can learn more about how to protect against potential fraud in the enclosed Steps You Can Take to Prevent Fraud and Identity Theft. We encourage all customers to remain vigilant against incidents of fraud by reviewing account statements regularly and keeping a close eye on credit card activity. Any customers who see suspicious activity, should report it to their bank or financial institution that issued their credit card.

Customers can continue to make payments on their account using the following methods:

1. The city’s automatic voice payment system: 979.764.ePAY (3729)
2. In-person at 310 Krenek Tap Road, College Station, TX
3. Via mail at P.O. Box 10230 College Station, TX 77842
4. By contacting a customer service representative at 979.764.3535

WHEN WILL I BE ABLE TO MAKE PAYMENTS ONLINE AGAIN?
The City has elected to move away from the Click2Gov program as a result of this event and similar events reported by other municipalities utilizing the Click2Gov portal. The City has reviewed other online payment alternatives and has selected a new online payment portal. Installation and configuration of the new online payment portal may take 3-4 months

We sincerely regret any inconvenience our customers have experienced related to this event.

We encourage you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud, to review your account statements, and to monitor your credit reports for suspicious activity. Under U.S. law you are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus. To order your free credit report, visit annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. You may also contact the three major credit bureaus directly to request a free copy of your credit report.

You have the right to place a “security freeze” on your credit report, which will prohibit a consumer reporting agency from releasing information in your credit report without your express authorization. The security freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. However, you should be aware that using a security freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, you cannot be charged to place or lift a security freeze on your credit report. Should you wish to place a security freeze, please contact the major consumer reporting agencies listed below:

Experian
PO Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
1-888-397-3742
www.experian.com/freeze/center.html

TransUnion
P.O. Box 160
Woodlyn, PA 19094
1-888-909-8872
www.transunion.com/credit-freeze

Equifax
PO Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348-5788
1-800-685-1111
www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services

In order to request a security freeze, you will need to provide the following information:

1. Your full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. If you have moved in the past five (5) years, provide the addresses where you have lived over the prior five years;
5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, military identification, etc.);
7. If you are a victim of identity theft, include a copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft.

As an alternative to a security freeze, you have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on your file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit. If you are a victim of identity theft, you are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any one of the agencies listed below:

Experian
P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
1-888-397-3742
www.experian.com/fraud/center.html

TransUnion
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016
1-800-680-7289
www.transunion.com/fraud-victim-resource/place-fraud-alert

Equifax
P.O. Box 105069
Atlanta, GA 30348
1-888-766-0008
www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services

You can further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, security freezes, and the steps you can take to protect yourself by contacting the consumer reporting agencies, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state Attorney General.

The Federal Trade Commission can be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580, www.identitytheft.gov, 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. You can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. You have the right to file a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some proof that you have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and your state Attorney General. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.

For Maryland residents: The Attorney General can be contacted at 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202, 1-410-528-8662, www.oag.state.md.us.

For North Carolina residents: The Attorney General can be contacted at 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001, 1-877-566-7226 or 1-919-716-6000, www.ncdoj.gov. You can obtain information from the Attorney General or the Federal Trade Commission about preventing identity theft.

For New Mexico residents: You have rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such as the right to be told if information in your credit file has been used against you, the right to know what is in your credit file, the right to ask for your credit score, and the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. Further, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the consumer reporting agencies must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information; access to your file is limited; you must give your consent for credit reports to be provided to employers; you may limit “prescreened” offers of credit and insurance you get based on information in your credit report; and you may seek damages from violator. You may have additional rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act not summarized here. Identity theft victims and active duty military personnel have specific additional rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We encourage you to review your rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act by visiting www.consumerfinance.gov/f/201504_cfpb_summary_your-rights-under-fcra.pdf, or by writing Consumer Response Center, Room 130-A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580.

For Rhode Island residents: The Rhode Island Attorney General can be reached at: 150 South Main Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02903; www.riag.ri.gov, 1-401-274-4400. Under Rhode Island law, you have the right to obtain any police report filed in regard to this incident.

For New York residents: The Attorney General may be contacted at: Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224-0341; 1-800-771-7755; https://ag.ny.gov.