City of Medford's online payment system reportedly compromised

MEDFORD, Ore. – If you’ve used a credit or debit card to pay for City of Medford services online, your data may have been vulnerable to hackers.

On July 23, the city notified the public about an online payment system data breach. City officials said the Click2Gov system used for utility billing, permits and business licenses was compromised. The wide-spread malware issue likely gathered sensitive payment card information between February 18 and March 14. Another breach appears to have occurred between March 29 and April 16.

According to the City of Medford, about 1,842 customers’ information was potentially compromised during the intrusion.

“The City values the privacy of its residents and the users of its website and deeply regrets that this incident occurred,” a Medford city representative said, “The City is continuing to review and take the necessary steps to enhance online security measures to help protect against this type of threat in the future.”

Anyone with questions is urged to call 844-808-4890 between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

If you’ve used the Click2Gov payment system within the stated time frames, the city recommends you take the following steps:

Check your credit card accounts for unauthorized or suspicious charges, no matter how small.
Report any unauthorized charges to your credit card issuer and bank.
Ask your credit card issuer and bank to deactivate your card and issue a new card.
Request a fraud alert to be placed on your credit file. A fraud alert tells creditors to contact you before they open any new accounts or change your existing accounts. You may call any one of the three major credit fraud alert bureaus listed below. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the others are notified to place fraud alerts. The initial fraud alert stays on your credit report for 90 days. you can renew it after 90 days. Request that all three credit reports be sent to you, free of charge, for your review. Even if you do not find any suspicious activities on your initial credit reports, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends that you shed your credit report periodically.
1. Equifax: http://www.equifax.com or 1-800-525-6285
2. Experian: http://www.experian.com or 1-888-397-3742
3. TransUnion: http://www.transunion.com or 1-800-680-7289