SEVIERVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wilderness at the Smokies officials today announced a recent data incident that compromised the security of some of the Wilderness at the Smokies’ computer processing systems. Guests who used their debit or credit card to make purchases at onsite food and beverage outlets, attractions, and retail locations between February 18, 2015 and March 10, 2015 could potentially be affected by this incident. The security compromise, however, did not impact Wilderness at the Smokies’ computer system used to pay for or place hotel reservations or process online gift card purchases.
“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this incident may have caused our guests. The privacy of our guests is a priority at Wilderness at the Smokies,” said Russell Archuleta, General Manager. “We have implemented additional measures to further enhance the security of our systems and will continue to prioritize guest privacy and information security.”
On November 3, 2015, Wilderness at the Smokies, with the help of third-party forensic investigators, discovered an unknown person or persons had placed sophisticated malware on certain computer systems used at the Wilderness at the Smokies to process credit and debit cards. Upon discovering the malware, Wilderness at the Smokies launched an in-depth investigation to determine what happened and what information was affected. After extensive investigation, forensic investigators determined that credit and debit cards used at the Wilderness at the Smokies’s onsite food and beverage outlets, attractions and retail locations between February 18, 2015 and March 10, 2015 were compromised. The cardholder data that may be at risk as a result of this incident includes name, card number, expiration date, and CVV. The systems used to process credit and debit cards to reserve and pay for hotel stays were not affected.
Wilderness at the Smokies is offering guests, who provided card information or who used their card onsite during this time period, access to one free year of credit monitoring. Guests can enroll in this complimentary service by visiting Wilderness at the Smokies’ website at http://www.wildernessatthesmokies.com/.
Additionally, Wilderness at the Smokies has established a dedicated assistance line for anyone seeking more information regarding this incident. It can be reached by calling (855) 770-0004, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday (closed on U.S. observed holidays). Callers should use reference number 7978121415 when calling.
Wilderness at the Smokies encourages everyone to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft by reviewing their account statements regularly and monitoring their credit reports for suspicious activity. Under U.S. law, everyone is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit bureaus. To order a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. Individuals may also contact the three major credit bureaus directly to request a free copy of their credit report.
Wilderness at the Smokies encourages everyone to take additional action to further protect against possible identity theft or other financial loss. At no charge, an individual can have the credit bureaus place a “fraud alert” on their file that alerts creditors to take additional steps to verify their identity prior to granting credit in their name. Note, however, that because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect the individual, it may also delay the individual’s ability to obtain credit while the agency verifies their identity. As soon as one credit bureau confirms the guest’s fraud alert, the others are notified to place fraud alerts on this person’s file. Should an individual wish to place a fraud alert, or have any questions regarding his or her credit report, they can contact any one of the agencies listed below.
| Equifax | Experian | TransUnion | ||||||
| P.O. Box 105069 | P.O. Box 2002 | P.O. Box 2000 | ||||||
| Atlanta, GA 30348 | Allen, TX 75013 | Chester, PA 19022-2000 | ||||||
| 800-525-6285 | 888-397-3742 | 800-680-7289 | ||||||
An individual may also place a security freeze on their credit reports. A security freeze prohibits a credit reporting agency from releasing any information from one’s credit report without the consumer’s written authorization. However, placing a security freeze on one’s credit report may delay, interfere with, or prevent the timely approval of any requests the individual makes for new loans, credit mortgages, employment, housing, or other services.
If an individual has been a victim of identity theft, and he or she provides the credit reporting agency with a valid police report, the credit reporting agency cannot charge to place, lift or remove a security freeze. In all other cases, a credit reporting agency may charge a person a fee to place, temporarily lift, or permanently remove a security freeze. The individual will need to place a security freeze separately with each of the three major credit bureaus listed above if the guest wishes to place the freeze on all of their credit files.
To find out more on how to place a security freeze, individuals can contact the credit reporting agencies using the information below:
| Equifax Security Freeze | Experian Security Freeze | TransUnion LLC | ||||
| P.O. Box 105788 | P.O. Box 9554 | P.O. Box 2000 | ||||
| Atlanta, GA 30348 | Allen, TX 75013 | Chester, PA 19022-2000 | ||||
| 800-685-1111 | 888-397-3742 | 888-909-8872 | ||||
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800-349-9960 (NY Residents) |
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To obtain further education regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, and the steps one can take to protect against identity theft and fraud, individuals can contact the Federal Trade Commission or their state Attorney General. For North Carolina residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001, 1-919-716-6400, www.ncdoj.gov. For Maryland residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202, 1-888-743-0023, www.oag.state.md.us. The Federal Trade Commission can be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580, www.ftc.gov/idtheft/, 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. Further information on how to file such a complaint can be gained by contacting any of the reporting credit agencies listed above. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement.