LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — When a loved one dies, life insurance is supposed to provide financial security
However, months after her father's death, one Las Vegas woman was still waiting for answers and the money her family was counting on.
Watch: TruStage cyberattack leaves grieving Las Vegas family waiting for insurance
Stephanie McWoods reconnected with her estranged father after her mother died in 2023. He'd been diagnosed with cancer. They talked about life insurance and the security he wanted to leave his family.
"We understood just how important that was and the ability to grieve while not having to worry about working or having to cover other expenses and having that support, that cushion," McWoods said.
The family chose TruStage. McWoods' father died on July 23. When she tried to file a claim, she learned TruStage had been hit by a cyberattack and shut down its network.
"I couldn't log into the account and there was really no way of contacting a human and understanding any information on how to process a claim," McWoods said.
She said the months that followed were a mess. TruStage couldn't even confirm her policy. Yet, premium payments kept coming out of her account.
"When I noticed the payments were continuing to come out, I reached out to TruStage and they told me because they still had no access to my personal account, that they wouldn't be able to stop it and to call my bank to put a stop payment on it," McWoods said.
TruStage told 13 Investigates it's reviewing cases where premiums may have been collected in error.
By October, McWoods still had no answer on her claim. That's when she contacted 13 Investigates and media in Chicago, where her father lived.
"What are your thoughts on the fact that it took media involvement to get you something that your family member paid for and that you're entitled to and that it's tied to this very difficult stage in life," I asked her.
"It's incredibly frustrating, extremely disappointing, and I think that every American citizen should be concerned because this is something that so many of us invest in and we rely on," she replied. "We believe that because we put these things in place, everything will work out when you have that devastating moment. To be waiting months for a payment, to be waiting this long, it's not acceptable."
After we began investigating, McWoods got her check. However, her questions didn't end there.
She wants to know what personal information was exposed and why TruStage didn't have better cybersecurity.
"This is not something that's new. So many agencies have been impacted by cyberattacks," McWoods said. "They must have a protocol in order to protect the people that patronize their business, but also, to protect the integrity of their business."
She's not alone.
At least 14 lawsuits against TruStage have been consolidated into a class action, alleging the company failed to put appropriate safeguards in place and left customers facing long-term identity theft risks.
I asked TruStage how many Nevada customers were impacted and what personal information was compromised. The company didn't answer those questions.
However, they did provide the following statement:
"We recognize the frustration delays and waiting periods have caused. The recent cyberattack disrupted both our normal ability to service claims and our tools to communicate with customers. To better meet customer needs, we have expanded our customer service support teams and created new processes to help meet customer needs as quickly as possible. The data impact assessment remains ongoing."
You can stay up to date on the latest developments on TruStage's website, where they are continuously posting updates on what services are coming back online.
Customers who need assistance can speak directly with customer service agents by calling the TruStage Contact Center at 1-800-356-2644.
A TruStage representative also told 13 Investigates that if they can't address an exceptional hardship through the claim or service process alone, potentially eligible customers may be referred to the Customer Assistance Fund. While TruStage does fund that account, it is administered by an independent third-party non-profit charitable organization and is "intended to serve as a bridge for urgent needs while a claim, payment or other recovery matter is being resolved."
