**If you are a consumer who has been affected by a security breach and would like more information on how to keep your personal information safe, please see our ID Theft page for additional resources.  To view breach notices received by the Department, see our Security Breach Notices page.**

Notifications

To aid in combating identity theft, South Carolina passed the Financial Identity Fraud and Identity Theft Protection Act (“FIFITPA”) in 2008. Among other things, FIFITPA imposes security breach notification requirements on private business and public bodies. If a business sends notice of a data security breach to 1,000 or more South Carolina residents at one time, the business must also notify the Department and the national credit reporting agencies. When sending notice to consumers, breached entities should include contact information for the Department so consumers may seek additional help from the Identity Theft Unit. When a business is required to notify the Department of a breach, the notice should include all of the following:

1. Date of the breach;
2. Date business became aware of the breach;
3. Date notice was/will be sent to affected consumers;
4. Method of consumer notification (i.e., direct mail, electronic mail, etc.)
5. Number of affected South Carolina consumers; 
6. Content of the consumer notice (i.e., copy of the letter sent to consumers); and
7. Action taken to avoid future breaches.

Breach notifications should be sent to the Department's Legal Division, P.O. Box 5757, Columbia, SC 29250 or emailed to scdca@scconsumer.gov.

For more information on the applicable laws in South Carolina, refer to the Identity Theft & The Law: A Guide for Business and Government (PDF)

Data Security Breach Reports

• 2017 Security Breach Notice Report (PDF)
• 2016 Security Breach Notice Report (PDF)
• 2015 Security Breach Notice Report (PDF)
• 2011 Security Breach Notice Report (PDF)

Handouts

• Identity Theft & The Law: A Guide for Business and Government (PDF)
• FTC Safeguards Rule
• FTC Information Compromise

Other Important Information

• Financial Identity Fraud and Identity Theft Protection Act
• OCC Guidelines (PDF)
• FTC Disposal Rule (PDF)