Month: March 2022

CONSUMERS IMPACTED BY THE MASSIVE 2021 T-MOBILE DATA BREACH TO TAKE STEPS TO PROTECT THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION

Hartford, CT) – Attorney General Tong urges all Connecticut residents who believe they were impacted by the data breach announced by T-Mobile in August 2021 to take appropriate steps to protect their information from identity theft.

On August 17th, T-Mobile reported a massive data breach compromising the sensitive personal information of millions of current, former, and prospective T-Mobile customers. The breach impacted more than 53 million individuals, including more than half a million Connecticut residents. Among other categories of impacted information, millions had their names, dates of birth, Social Security Numbers, and driver’s license information compromised.

Recently, a large subset of the information compromised in the breach was for sale on the dark web—a hidden portion of the Internet where cyber criminals buy, sell, and track personal information. Many individuals have since received alerts through various identity theft protection services informing them that their information was found online in connection with the breach, confirming that impacted individuals are at heightened risk for identity theft.

“Connecticut residents impacted by the T-Mobile breach need to take steps to protect themselves if they have not done so already,” Attorney General Tong said. “If you received a notice or alert informing you that you were impacted, don’t dismiss it just because you were not a T-Mobile customer at the time of the breach—or even if you never have been a T-Mobile customer. More than 40 million former and prospective customers had their information compromised. Always think twice before clicking on links in unsolicited emails or text messages, but take trusted avenues to protect yourself.”

Connecticut is co-leading a multistate coalition of attorneys general investigating the breach and whether T-Mobile had appropriate safeguards in place to protect personal information. Attorney General Tong urges anyone who believes they were impacted by the breach to take the following steps to protect themselves:

  • Monitor your credit. Credit monitoring services track your credit report and alert you whenever a change is made, such as a new account or a large purchase. Most services will notify you within 24 hours of any change to your credit report.  
  • Consider placing a free credit freeze on your credit report. Identity thieves will not be able to open a new credit account in your name while the freeze is in place. You can place a credit freeze by contacting each of the three major credit bureaus:

+1 (888) 766-0008

+1 (888) 397-3742

+1 (800) 680-7289

  • Place a fraud alert on your credit report. A fraud alert tells lenders and creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity before issuing credit. You can place a fraud alert by contacting any one of the three major credit bureaus.
  • Additional Resources. If you believe you are a victim of identity theft, go to identitytheft.gov for assistance on how to report it and recover from it—or contact the Attorney General’s Office for help.

This press release was made possible by:

GOVERNOR LAMONT STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT BIDEN’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont released the following statement in response to the State of the Union address delivered tonight by President Joe Biden:

“In his first State of the Union since taking office, President Biden marked considerable progress in building a better America. The Biden-Harris administration implemented a vaccine program that has inoculated more than 200 million Americans and, today, is allowing us to safely return to a more normal and regular life. Together with Congress, President Biden enacted the American Rescue Plan Act that reduced child poverty to the lowest rate on record, provided our schools the resources to safely educate our children in-person, and has helped fuel historic economic growth and job creation. The bipartisan infrastructure law the President championed will rebuild our infrastructure, reduce carbon pollution, and make our communities more resilient, redress historical inequities, and lay the foundation for American prosperity for years to come.

“Internationally, President Biden has returned America to its rightful place as the leader of the free world. Instead of coddling dictators, we’ve reengaged with our allies across the globe. We worked to repair international supply chains. We rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement. We recommitted the United States to freedom and democracy. And when Russia chose to wage war on a peaceful neighbor, President Biden rallied our friends and allies to support the sovereign nation of Ukraine and hold Russia accountable.

“I commend President Biden for all that he and Vice President Harris have achieved, and I applaud the President’s vision and goals that he outlined in his speech tonight. He presented a clear and achievable plan to lower everyday costs for all Americans, to strengthen our economy, and to ensure a fair shot at the American dream for all Americans with an economy built from the bottom up and the middle out. In Connecticut, we’re working to achieve the same goals. We’re making historic investments in developing a modern workforce to fill Connecticut jobs, make Connecticut products, and reduce costs for Connecticut families. Likewise, just as President Biden proposed a plan to reduce the costs of everyday expenses, including energy and prescription drugs, in my Connecticut Difference budget we tackle these challenges head-on.

“I look forward to working with President Biden and our amazing congressional delegation to ensure that the progress we’ve made over the past year is sustained and that our Union remains strong.”

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BRIDGEPORT POLICE MAKE ARREST IN ARMED ROBBERY & POLICE PURSUIT BRIDGEPORT

-On Monday February 28, 2022, Bridgeport Police Officers were out patrolling the are of Maple St and Kossuth St when Officers observed a Black SUV take off at a high rate of speed. Officers pursued the vehicle and ran the license plate, which came back stolen and wanted for an armed robbery incident that took place in Waterbury, CT. Due to a safety concern Officers called off the pursuit but observed the vehicle as it continued to proceed throughout the city at high rates of speeds and maneuvering in and out of traffic.

The vehicle was later observed again by officers near River St and they attempted to pull the vehicle over when it again began traveling at a high rate of speed through the area onto Route 8 Northbound and led officers onto Route 25 towards the Route 111 Trumbull/Monroe line. Officers again called off the pursuit due to safety concerns. While returning to the city, Officers observed the vehicle entering Route 25 Southbound and began a pursuit again with mutual aid units from Monroe, Trumbull, CSP and Regional Taskforce Members. The vehicle was subsequently stopped after the deployment of spike strips on southbound Route 25. The two suspects in the vehicle identified as Lawauan Marshall Stewart of Waterbury age 22, and Natalie Diaz of Bridgeport age 22 proceeded to flee from the vehicle where they are apprehended after a short foot pursuit.

Mr. Stewart was arrested and charged with:14-222 RECKLESS DRIVING, 14-223(b)** ENGAGING POLICE IN PURSUIT, 53a-122(a)(3) LARCENY1ST – MV > $20,000 1 $100,000, 53a-126b CRIMINAL TROVER 2ND DEG, 53a-167a INTERFEREWITH OFFCR/RESISTING, 53a-181 BREACH OF PEACE 2ND DEG, 53a-49/ 53a-59 CRIMINALATTEMPT/ ASSAULT 1ST DEG, and 53a-63 RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT 1ST DEG. Bond was set at$100,000.00

Ms. Diaz was arrested and charged with:53a-122(a)(3) LARCENY 1ST – MV > $20,000 1 $25,000, 53a-167a INTERFERE WITHOFFCR/RESISTING, and 53a-181 BREACH OF PEACE 2ND DEG. Bond set at $25,000.00

GRANT PROGRAM TO FUND HVAC UPGRADES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he is proposing legislation that will establish a grant program to assist public school districts in paying for heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) and other indoor air quality improvements to school buildings. He explained that the program is needed to help schools make necessary infrastructure upgrades in response to the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To launch the program, the governor’s budget proposal includes an investment of $90 million in funding that Connecticut received from the American Rescue Plan Act, which was approved by Congress last year to assist in the country’s recovery from the pandemic. The governor stressed that this initial allocation would be the first investment in the program, and additional rounds of funding can invested as needed.

“One thing the COVID-19 pandemic exposed is that many school buildings in our state, particularly those that are of a certain age, are in serious need of air quality improvements,” Governor Lamont said. “Some people may erroneously think that heating and cooling systems are only about temperature control, but modernized ventilation systems provide an important public health function that filtrate the air and reduce airborne contaminants, including particles containing viruses. I strongly urge lawmakers to approve this proposal so that we can begin releasing funds to school districts and make these much-needed HVAC upgrades.”

The proposed program, which would be administered by the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services, requires municipalities to provide matching grants to fund the project costs.

Examples of eligible projects include:

  • Replacing, upgrading, or repairing boilers and other heating and ventilation components;
  • Replacing controls and technology systems related to HVAC operations;
  • Installing or upgrading air conditioning or ventilation systems; and
  • Other similar work approved by the commissioner of the Department of Administrative Services.

Governor Lamont has directed the Department of Administrative Services to develop the proposed program in coordination with the State Department of Education, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and the Department of Public Health.

The legislation is currently under consideration by the Connecticut General Assembly’s Education Committee.

This press release was made possible by:

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