The UC campuses have recently been made aware that employee names, social security numbers, and other personal information are being used to open unauthorized bank accounts at Chime, Go2Bank, and Acorns. There is no reason to suspect that UC accounts have recently been compromised, but it is believed that this information was collected from a data breach that occurred in previous years. Here are some ways that UC employees can protect themselves from being impacted:

  • Watch out for communications from Chime, Go2Bank, and Acorns: If you receive an email from any of these institutions requesting that you confirm a new bank account you do not recognize, do not click on any links in the email and report the message to UCSB Information Assurance & Cybersecurity at security@ucsb.edu.
  • Promptly close any authorized or inactive financial accounts: If you believe an account has been opened without your permission, contact the company immediately and inform them that someone has fraudulently opened an account in your name. Ask the company to close the account and confirm the closure with you once it is complete. Individuals can contact these banks using the information below:
  • Monitor and set up alerts for bank accounts: Monitor bank accounts for suspicious transactions and report any fraudulent activity to your bank. Ask your bank for online monitoring and alerts on your account activity.
  • Place a fraud alert on your credit file: We recommend that impacted individuals place a fraud alert on their credit file by contacting one of the three nationwide credit bureaus listed below. If a fraud alert is placed on a consumer’s credit file, certain identity verification steps must be taken before extending new credit.

Your security is our top priority, and we encourage every community member to take these steps seriously. By working together, we can mitigate the potential risks associated with these fraudulent activities.