What you need to know about the Equifax breach

“Starting a business can be very stressful but working with NBC for our business loan to open the practice was supportive and comforting. We knew these were people we could trust, and they’ve proven that true over all the years we’ve been banking with them. We stay with NBC for the great relationships and service.”

Megan Ehlers, DVM

Owner & Veterinarian, Ehlers Animal Clinic

“It’s the people at a bank that make the difference. The folks at NBC go out of their way to help you resolve an issue, whatever is needed. They’ve been very flexible with us, even with the non-standard things we need as a nonprofit. We can always get ahold of someone if we have an issue and knowing we can count on them is really reassuring.”

Dawn Rockey

Executive Director, CASA for Lancaster County

“We’ve done our personal banking with NBC for generations – my parents banked with NBC for years, and we trust them. When COVID hit, I asked them for advice, and even though they didn’t have my business account, they did everything they could to help me. They’re like a small-town bank where people know you, but with the convenience and options of a bigger bank.”

Kelly Kiihne

Personal Banking Customer and Owner, Kelly’s Kids Daycare

November 22, 2017

Recently Equifax, one of the three major credit bureaus, announced it experienced a massive data breach affecting approximately 143 million Americans. Equifax has said that the breach occurred from May through July 2017. The hackers accessed people’s names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some instances, driver’s license numbers. They also stole credit card numbers for about 209,000 people and dispute documents with personal identifying information for about 182,000 people. At this time, it appears that hackers did not gain access to full credit reports.

Nebraska Bank of Commerce was NOT compromised and your information was NOT stolen from NBC. However, NBC takes security of customer information very seriously, so we want to share with you some frequently asked questions and steps you can take to protect your personally identifiable information. As always, please monitor your statements and online banking for any unauthorized charges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was my information stolen?

If you have a credit file, there is a possibility that you are impacted. Go to a special website set up by Equifax to find out: https://www.equifaxsecurity2017.com/. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Potential Impact,” enter some personal information and the site will tell you if you’ve been affected. Be sure you’re on a secure network (not public wi-fi) when you submit sensitive data over the internet.

Should I place a credit freeze on my files?

Before deciding to place a credit freeze on your accounts, consider your personal situation. If you might be applying for credit soon or think you might need quick credit in an emergency, it might be better to simply place a fraud alert on your files with the three major credit bureaus. A fraud alert puts a red flag on your credit report which requires businesses to take additional steps, such as contacting you by phone before opening a new account. You may incur a fee to place a credit freeze. These vary by state, and there may be additional fees to temporarily lift or remove a freeze.

In Nebraska, for minors and victims of identity theft, there is no charge for placing, temporarily lifting, or removing a security freeze. To prove you are a victim, you must also send a valid copy of a police report. For all others, a charge of $3.00 may be applied for placing, temporarily lifting, or removing a security freeze. Credit freeze requests can be made online, by phone, or by certified US mail.

How do I contact the three major credit bureaus to place a freeze or an alert on my files?

Equifax: Call 800-349-9960 or visit its website.

Experian: Call 888-397-3742 or visit its website.

TransUnion: Call 888-909-8872 or visit its website.

Where can I get more information about the Equifax breach?

You can learn more directly from Equifax at https://www.equifaxsecurity2017.com/. You can also learn more by visiting the Federal Trade Commission’s web page on the breach at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2017/09/equifax-data-breach-what-do. To learn more about how to protect yourself after a breach, visit https://www.identitytheft.gov/Info-Lost-or-Stolen.