Dakota County (the “County") is providing notice of a recent data incident that potentially compromised the security of some private information that the County maintains. This webpage is for potentially impacted individuals the County couldn't reach by mail or email. It explains what happened, what information was potentially impacted, what the County is doing in response to the incident, and what individuals can do to help protect against the misuse of their information.
What happened?
On Jan. 22, 2025, the County learned of unusual activity associated with one employee's email account. Upon learning about this unusual activity, the County took steps to secure the account and engaged leading, independent cybersecurity experts to assist with an investigation. As a result of that investigation, the County learned that an unknown actor accessed and potentially acquired certain data maintained by the Social Services Department that was stored within the employee's account. On or about Aug. 29, 2025, the County confirmed the identities of individuals whose private information may have been involved in the incident. Since that time, we have been working to gather contact information to notify all potentially impacted individuals of this incident.
This incident was isolated to one employee's email account and quickly contained. It did not and will not result in any delay to County services.
What information was involved?
The following information may have been involved in the incident for those individuals who are receiving this substitute notice:
Name, information identifying the individual as someone who sought and/or received services from the Dakota County Social Services Department, related to aging or disability services, directly or through a contracted case management company, and in some cases, information about or provided in connection with those services, date of birth, and contact information. The information did not include the individuals' Social Security numbers.
OR
Name, and minimal information identifying the individual as someone who received children and family services from the Dakota County Social Services Department. The information did not include any other details, including the individuals' dates of birth, Social Security numbers, other identifying information, or specific information about the specific services.
What we are doing
On Sept. 19, 2025, the County provided notice of this incident via mail or email to potentially impacted individuals whose contact information could be verified.
The County established a toll-free call center to answer questions about the incident and to address related concerns. Call center representatives are available at 1-833-397-6706, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, from 8 a.m.– 8 p.m. Eastern time. In addition to establishing a toll-free call center, the County also offered the opportunity for potentially impacted individuals to enroll in complimentary identity theft protection services through CyberScout, a TransUnion company (“CyberScout") specializing in fraud assistance and remediation services.
Thank you for your understanding as we worked diligently to address and resolve this incident. The privacy and protection of private information is a top priority for the County. Please accept our sincere apologies and know that we deeply regret any worry or inconvenience that this may cause.
We are providing the following information to help those who want to know more about steps they can take to protect themselves and their personal information:
What steps can I take to protect my personal information?
- Please notify your financial institution immediately if you detect any suspicious activity on any of your accounts, including unauthorized transactions or new accounts opened in your name that you do not recognize. You should also promptly report any fraudulent activity or any suspected incidents of identity theft to proper law enforcement authorities.
- You can request a copy of your credit report, free of charge, directly from each of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies. To do so, free of charge once every 12 months, please visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll free at 1-877-322-8228. Contact information for the three nationwide credit reporting agencies is listed below.
- You can take steps recommended by the Federal Trade Commission to protect yourself from identify theft. The FTC's website offers helpful information at www.ftc.gov/idtheft.
How do I obtain a copy of my credit report?
You can obtain a copy of your credit report, free of charge, directly from each of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies. To order your credit report, free of charge once every 12 months, please visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll free at 1-877-322-8228, or by completing an Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348. Use the following contact information for the three nationwide credit reporting agencies:
Equifax
P.O. Box 105851
Atlanta, GA 30348
1-800-525-6285
www.equifax.com
Experian
P.O. Box 9532
Allen, TX 75013
1-888-397-3742
www.experian.com
TransUnion
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016
1-833-799-5355
www.transunion.com/get-credit-report
How do I put a fraud alert on my account?
You may want to consider placing a fraud alert on your credit report. An initial fraud alert is free and will stay on your credit file for at least one year. The alert informs creditors of possible fraudulent activity within your report and requests that the creditor contact you prior to establishing any accounts in your name. To place a fraud alert on your credit report, contact any of the three credit reporting agencies identified above. Additional information is available at www.annualcreditreport.com. For TransUnion: www.transunion.com/fraud-alerts.
How do I put a security freeze on my credit reports?
You also have the right to place a security freeze on your credit report. A security freeze is intended to prevent credit, loans and services from being approved in your name without your consent. To place a security freeze on your credit report, you need to make a request to each consumer reporting agency. You may make that request by certified mail, overnight mail, or regular stamped mail, or online by following the instructions found at the websites listed below. You will need to provide the following information when requesting a security freeze (note that if you are making a request for your spouse, this information must be provided for him/her as well): (1) full name, with middle initial and any suffixes; (2) Social Security number; (3) date of birth; (4) address. You may also be asked to provide other personal information such as your email address, a copy of a government-issued identification card, and a copy of a recent utility bill or bank or insurance statement. It is essential that each copy be legible, display your name and current mailing address, and the date of issue. There is no charge to place, lift, or remove a freeze. You may obtain a security freeze by contacting any one or more of the following national consumer reporting agencies:
Equifax Security Freeze
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348
1-800-685-1111
www.equifax.com
Experian Security Freeze
P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
1-888-397-3742
www.experian.com
TransUnion (FVAD)
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016
1-833-799-5355
www.transunion.com/credit-freeze
What should I do if my family member was involved in the incident and is deceased?
You may choose to notify the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and Trans Union, and request they flag the deceased credit file. This will prevent the credit file information from being used to open credit. To make this request, mail a copy of your family member's death certificate to each company at the addresses below.
Equifax
Equifax Information Services
P.O. Box 740256
Atlanta, GA 30374
Experian
Experian Information Services
P.O. Box 9701
Allen, TX 75013
TransUnion
Transunion Information Services
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016
What should I do if my minor child or protected person's information was involved in the incident?
You can request that each of the three national credit reporting agencies perform a manual search for a minor's or protected person's Social Security number to determine if there is an associated credit report. Copies of identifying information for the minor and parent/guardian may be required, including birth or adoption certificate, Social Security card and government issued identification card. If a credit report exists, you should request a copy of the report and immediately report ay fraudulent accounts to the credit reporting agency. You can also report any misuse of a minor's information to the FTC at https://www.identitytheft.gov/. For more information about Child Identity Theft and instructions for requesting a manual Social Security number search, visit the FTC website: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0040-child-identity-theft. Contact information for the three credit reporting agencies may be found above.
For more information
Dakota County is preparing a report detailing the facts and results of this incident. You may request a copy of the report by email to data.practices@co.dakota.mn.us, or by mail to Dakota County, Attn: Data Privacy Officer, 1590 Highway 55, Hastings, MN 55033.