The Fresno County Department of Social Services has notified an individual that a data file containing sensitive personal information was accessed by someone who was not authorized to see it. According to the letter, the Department first learned of unusual activity involving an employee on June 2, 2026, and after reviewing the incident determined that the actual access to the data file occurred earlier, on August 26, 2025. The letter describes this as unauthorized employee access, and the matter has been reported to authorities and is currently pending investigation. As of the date of the notice, the Department says it has no indication that the information has actually been misused.
The letter was sent specifically to the named recipient because their information was contained in the affected data file. The Department has not indicated, in the text provided, how many other people may have received a similar notice or whether this was an isolated case involving a single record or part of a larger group of files.
What information was exposed?
- First name and last name
- Address
- Client Index Number (CIN) or Medi-Cal Number
- Phone number
- In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Case Number
Because this incident involves a Medi-Cal or Client Index Number along with an IHSS case number, it touches on health and public-benefits records, not just basic contact details, which is why this notice deserves careful attention even though the Department states it has no evidence of misuse so far.
What should you do now?
- Place a fraud alert with one of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion) — a fraud alert placed with one bureau will notify the other two, and it must be added within five business days at no cost to you.
- Request a free copy of your credit report at annualcreditreport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228, and review it for any accounts or inquiries you don’t recognize.
- Contact your healthcare provider or health plan to request a copy of your medical records to use as a baseline, since your Medi-Cal number and IHSS case number could potentially be used to access health-related benefits fraudulently.
- Consider contacting the DMV Fraud Hotline at 1-866-658-5758 if you’re concerned about your driver’s license being used fraudulently, even though a license number wasn’t listed among the data exposed here.
- If you notice suspicious activity, file an identity theft report with the Fresno Police Department (559-621-7000) if you live in the city, or the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department (559-488-3111) if you live elsewhere in the county.
- Because Medi-Cal and case identifiers were involved, it’s worth signing up for a service like Aura or LifeLock, which can alert you if your personal information turns up somewhere it shouldn’t.
- Keep this notice and any related correspondence for your records in case you need to reference the incident number later.
If you have questions about this incident, the Department of Social Services can be reached through Division Chief Elsa Bustos at (559) 600-5401, referencing incident #26-0473.