HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) – Alabama A&M issued a reminder to students Wednesday after reports of multiple identity theft incidents.
Alabama A&M said in an email to students Wednesday night that an investigation found no evidence of a security breach in which university officials illegally accessed or used students' social security numbers. .
The university also acknowledged in an email that it had received “approximately 100 reports of concerns, ranging from rejected tax returns to lowered credit scores.”
The email states that students should contact the university first as the university is still investigating the situation.
You can read the full message to students below.
student,
After being alerted to the potential breach of some students' personal data, Alabama A&M University launched an investigation to identify potential issues related to campus. Last week, the university issued guidance for students to alert AAMU if they believe their personal information has been affected in any way. Students were also encouraged to report fraud typical of such cases to the appropriate authorities.
After a thorough review of our systems, we have found no evidence of security breaches in which AAMU officials illegally accessed or used students' social security numbers, as reported in local media over the past several days. did not.
“We have hired a third-party vendor to investigate our systems and investigate each reported student case,” said Chief Information Officer Dr. Kylie Nash. “The investigation will take time to fully understand the impact on each student, and we ask for your patience during this process.”
To date, the university has received approximately 100 reports of concerns, ranging from rejected tax returns to lowered credit scores. All of these issues can be attributed to several potential causes.
“We know that in today's world, personal information can be compromised in a variety of ways,” said Dr. Black Tully, Vice President for Student Affairs. “Our team is still working to understand how some of our students encountered these issues. We are also aware of a spate of similar incidents occurring at other institutions. We also know that this is a reminder to all of us to be especially careful when handling sensitive data and personal documents.”
The University is also aware of inaccurate social media chatter and engagement mining spread by some individuals not affiliated with Alabama A&M in any way. In the event of an emergency that appears to be within the university's purview, we encourage students and parents to call her AAMU first. Doing so not only protects the brand, but also helps the university's ability to disseminate factual information. When AAMU received the warning last week, it acted quickly and communicated directly with students. Had the university been notified before the local media, the notification could have been enacted sooner.
We continue to review our processes and procedures to continually improve our operations. If you believe your Social Security number has been compromised, please contact us at cyberreporting@aamu.edu. It is important to report issues to this email only if you receive a notification from the IRS, credit bureaus, or other financial institutions. Stay safe and go Bulldogs!
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