Data privacy information
Borrower Notifications:
For more information, contact:
TG's toll-free information call center
Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CT
(800) 845-6267
Frequently asked questions
- Was I affected?
- Do you have any updated information regarding the number of borrowers who may have been affected?
- What is the time frame for notifying affected people?
- What if my contact information is out of date?
- Was my credit card information accessed?
- What should I do if my information has been compromised?
- The free fraud alert lasts only 90 days. What can I do to make sure I’m protected after that?
- Will checking my credit report have a negative effect on my credit score?
- Why can't TG handle this with the credit bureau?
- Will I need a copy of a police report when I contact the credit bureaus?
- What if I discover fraudulent charges or that I have been a victim of identity theft?
- Where can I get more information about protecting myself from identity theft?
- When was the piece of equipment lost?
- How did this happen?
- What measures are being taken to prevent this from happening again?
- Why doesn’t the notice letter I received have a personal salutation or a TG signature?
- Why aren’t you releasing specific details about the equipment that was lost?
- Is TG sending e-mail notifications about the incident?
- I paid off my loans several years ago. Why is my information still on file?
- Will TG immediately purge my loan records since the loans were paid off years ago?
Was I affected?
To find out if your name and/or Social Security number was part of the data set on the piece of missing equipment, you can call TG at (800) 845-6267. This toll-free call center will be open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Central Time).
In addition, TG has sent notifications to all individuals whose information was part of the data set. The notification was sent to the address we have on file for those individuals with recommendations on how to protect themselves from identity theft.
In its communications, TG will not request personal information electronically. TG cautions that if people receive e-mail, they should make sure the e-mail comes from TG before disclosing personal information.
Do you have any updated information regarding the number of borrowers who may have been affected?
Based on our continuing investigation, we have determined the number of affected borrowers is approximately 1.75 million.
What is the time frame for notifying affected people?
TG distributed a public statement on Tuesday, May 30. TG began mailing official notifications on June 9 to those whose names and Social Security numbers were included in the data set on the missing equipment.
What if my contact information is out of date?
If you think that TG does not have your current contact information, please call (800) 845-6267. This call center will be available 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (CT), Monday through Friday.
Was my credit card information accessed?
No. The data set on the missing equipment only included names and Social Security numbers. No other personal information was included in the data set.
What should I do if my information has been compromised?
There are several steps that TG recommends for anyone whose non-public personal information may have been compromised:
- Contact one of the three major credit monitoring agencies and request that a free "fraud alert" be placed on your account. This will direct creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts. The credit monitoring agency you contact will notify the others, although this process can take up to six to eight weeks. The credit bureaus can be contacted at
- Equifax: (800) 525-6285; www.equifax.com
- Experian: (888) 397-3742; www.experian.com
- TransUnion: (800) 680-7289; www.transunion.com
- Request a credit report and carefully review it to ensure no fraudulent accounts have been opened in your name or unauthorized charges made to your existing accounts. You can request a free credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies each year at www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling (877) FACT ACT (322-8228).
The free fraud alert lasts only 90 days. What can I do to make sure I’m protected after that?
At the end of the 90-day fraud alert, you can request that another free 90-day fraud alert be placed on your account. This will provide the same protections as the first, and you can renew this alert indefinitely at the end of each 90-day period. To do so, contact one of the three major credit monitoring agencies and submit a request for a free fraud alert:
- Equifax: (800) 525-6285; www.equifax.com
- Experian: (888) 397-3742; www.experian.com
- TransUnion: (800) 680-7289; www.transunion.com
Will checking my credit report have a negative effect on my credit score?
No. You can request your own credit report as often as you would like without negative effect.
Why can't TG handle this with the credit bureau?
Please understand that as much as we would like to be of assistance in this matter, TG cannot act as your agent in the administration of your credit bureau relationship. We cannot make decisions for you regarding the placement of a fraud alert on your personal credit file, and we are not able to collect financial information in order to alert credit card companies and other institutions. These are personal transactions that are appropriately handled by you or by your financial advisers.
Will I need a copy of a police report when I contact the credit bureaus?
You will not need a police report to file a 90-day fraud alert.
However, if you discover you have personally been a victim of identity theft (see question below), you may file an extended (7-year) fraud alert. This is considered a separate incident from the data loss that TG's vendor has reported to the police.
What if I discover fraudulent charges or that I have been a victim of identity theft?
If you find evidence of identity theft on your credit reports, take these steps:
- Immediately contact the affected creditor and close the accounts that you believe have been opened fraudulently or have unauthorized activity.
- File a police report and get a copy to submit to creditors and others that may require proof of a crime. (Make several copies of the police report for future use.)
- Consider filing an extended security freeze on your account. You will need to contact each of the three major credit bureaus and follow specific instructions:
- File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft/ or by calling (877) 438-4338. Use the ID Theft Affidavit Form developed by the FTC to help you file a case with the affected creditors at www.consumer.gov/idtheft/pdf/affidavit.pdf.
- If you discover misuse of your Social Security number, call the Social Security Fraud Hotline, (800) 269-0271.
- Keep a detailed record of all communication with credit bureaus, creditors, financial institutions, and police, including dates and names of the representatives you've contacted. Keep these records for three years.
Where can I get more information about protecting myself from identity theft?
These organizations can provide more information about protecting your personal information:
- Federal Trade Commission
www.consumer.gov/idtheft/ - Also see the booklet "Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft" www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/idtheft.htm
- Social Security Administration www.ssa.gov/pubs/10064.html
- Department of Justice www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft.html
- Privacy Rights Clearinghouse - Identity Theft Resources www.privacyrights.org/identity.htm
- National Fraud Information Center Hotline: (800) 876-7060
Identity Theft Resource Center: (858) 693-7935
When was the piece of equipment lost?
In mid-afternoon of Friday, May 26, TG was notified by Hummingbird, a company TG engaged to implement a document management system, that an employee of Hummingbird had lost a piece of equipment which contains the names and Social Security numbers of a portion of TG's borrowers. The loss occurred on May 24, 2006.
How did this happen?
Extensive investigation of this incident over the course of the Memorial Day weekend revealed that in January 2006 TG had prepared a series of files containing name and Social Security number information for use by Hummingbird, a company TG engaged to implement a document management system. TG prepared the files for transmission by encrypting the files, protecting them with a password, and sending them to a secure site via File Transfer Protocol (FTP) for retrieval by Hummingbird. Hummingbird indicated that one of its employees then downloaded the files, decrypted them, and stored them on the piece of equipment that was subsequently lost. Hummingbird also reported that the piece of equipment was password protected.
What measures are being taken to prevent this from happening again?
TG takes the protection of non-public personal information very seriously. TG has internal policies and procedures to protect non-public, personal information from unauthorized disclosure. All TG's internal policies and procedures, including those for the transmission and use of sensitive information, were followed in this situation. We are investigating this incident and how it might have been prevented. Any information we discover will be used to reinforce our own policies and to protect against another incident occurring.
Why doesn’t the notice letter I received have a personal salutation or a TG signature?
Our investigation determined the number of affected borrowers was substantial. TG’s commitment to notify each of these borrowers in as prompt a manner as possible rendered a personal salutation unfeasible. We also determined that providing information regarding steps to take to protect against identity theft was a more important use of space on the letter than a personal signature.
Why aren’t you releasing specific details about the equipment that was lost?
The investigation of this matter is on-going, and it is not prudent to release specific details at this time. A release of details could compromise the investigation and place the security of our borrowers' information at additional, unnecessary risk.
Is TG sending e-mail notifications about the incident?
Although TG’s primary method of notification was through mailed letters, some state laws require e-mail notification in addition to mailing. As a result, TG is also sending e-mails to borrowers in those states (provided we have an e-mail address on file).
Copies of the notification letter and e-mail message are available online. If you have any concerns about the legitimacy of any notices you’ve received related to this incident, TG recommends that you call the toll-free information privacy center at (800) 845-6267.
I paid off my loans several years ago. Why is my information still on file?
TG is required by state and federal laws to keep loan records for at least five years after loans are paid off, and longer for loans that had repayment issues such as delinquency or default. There are no legal requirements to purge records after any specific length of time. TG has been working towards the ability to purge records for loans that have been paid in full and for which the applicable legally-mandated retention period has passed. Effectively purging these records is made more complex because older records may not be maintained electronically or may be maintained in other media, particularly microfilm cartridges. Unfortunately, one borrower’s loan records typically exist on multiple microfilm cartridges, and each cartridge likely contains records of hundreds of other borrowers.
Will TG immediately purge my loan records since the loans were paid off years ago?
TG is required by state and federal laws to keep loan records for at least five years after loans are paid off, and longer for loans that had repayment issues such as delinquency or default. There is no legal requirement to purge records after any specific length of time.
TG has been working towards the ability to purge records for loans that have been paid in full and the applicable legally-mandated retention period has passed. Effectively purging these records is made more complex because older records may not be maintained electronically or may be maintained in other media, particularly microfilm cartridges. Unfortunately, one borrower’s loan records typically exist on multiple microfilm cartridges, and each cartridge likely contains records of hundreds of other borrowers. Purging an individual borrower’s microfilmed records would require that each record on each cartridge be individually examined. While TG is not in a position to purge these records immediately, it is committed to doing so as soon as technology issues and matters relating to the data loss have been fully resolved.