EPSILON DATA BREACH IMPACT ON DISABILITY INSURANCE CLAIMS

The Epsilon data breach, which took place during the last week of March and was announced over the weekend, has exposed the names and emails of millions of customers of brand-name companies, including Target, Kroger, TiVo, US Bank, JP Morgan Chase, Capital One, Citi, Home Shopping Network, 1-800-FLOWERS, Ameriprise Financial, LL Bean Visa Card, McKinsey & Company, Ritz-Carlton Rewards, Marriott Rewards, New York & Company, Brookstone, Walgreens, The College Board, Disney Destinations, and Best Buy, to name just a few.

Epsilon is the world’s largest provider of permission-based email marketing. More than 40 billion emails are sent yearly for 2,500 brands. If you’ve ever sent an email, it’s likely they have you in their system – and likely that you will start receiving more phishing emails than ever before. You might receive a message from a store or an insurance company with your name, with all the right logos, and think that it’s legitimate. Just opening the email can expose your system to a dangerous computer virus.

If you are in the process of filing a claim or have a claim filed with a disability insurance carrier, you need to be extra vigilant. Insurance companies share data with third parties and there may be affiliated relationships that are not widely known. Caution is the best tactic. If you receive a request for information from a new email address, call the claims adjuster to verify that the request came from their office.

Check the email address – if it is slightly different or ends in something other than .com, particularly an international domain like .uk, it is likely to be a phishing email. Most phishing campaigns originate outside of the U.S. Look for spelling errors in the email address, URL or any email that appears to be urgent.

If you have questions, call us at 877-LTD-CLAIM (1-877-583-2524).