Hacks and Identity Theft
This latest internet hack of Equifax is an eye-opener to the amount of misguided trust we have developed in large corporations over the past few decades. We blindly provide our personal information to insurance companies, hospitals, people who cold call us for charitable donations, grocery stores, schools, and any number of organizations. Between the most recent hacking news, including the US 2016 elections, the French 2017 election, Gmail phishing scams, bitcon hostage situations, we are being inudated with news of security breaches of corporations and organizations one would think would have be more prepared to withstand such attacks.
When I heard about the Equifax data breach I thought, "Dang, this stuff just got real."
The Equifax CEO provided an update on September 7, 2017. According to Equifax, the breach lasted from mid-May through July. The hackers accessed people’s names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some instances, driver’s license numbers. They also stole credit card numbers for about 209,000 people and dispute documents with personal identifying information for about 182,000 people. And they grabbed personal information of people in the UK and Canada too.
Equifax provided another update on September 11, 2017. They are attempting to ease our concerns by being more transparent.
This is a public relations nightmare for them, so I am not so sure I believe what they are saying.
Cybersecurity warfare is real. We must protect our personal information. It's time to actually read the fine print on terms of service agreements to understand who is able to share our personal information. It doesn't look like the hacks or security breaches are going to end anytime soon. It actually seems like they are just beginning and are becoming more prevelant and aggresive.
Your personal information is a valuable commodity. It’s not only the key to your financial identity, but also to your online identity. Knowing how to protect your information — and your identity — is a must in the 21st century. You may want to visit the Federal Trade Commission's Consumer Information website HERE . They have Privacy, Identity, and Online Security page that has some good tips.
Visit the three nationwide credit reporting companies:
Equifax — 1-800-349-9960
Experian — 1‑888‑397‑3742
TransUnion — 1-888-909-8872
Get informed. Here are some steps to take to help protect yourself after a data breach:
Check your credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — for free — by visiting annualcreditreport.com. Accounts or activity that you don’t recognize could indicate identity theft. Visit IdentityTheft.gov to find out what to do.
Consider placing a credit freeze on your files. A credit freeze makes it harder for someone to open a new account in your name. Keep in mind that a credit freeze won’t prevent a thief from making charges to your existing accounts.
Monitor your existing credit card and bank accounts closely for charges you don’t recognize.
If you decide against a credit freeze, consider placing a fraud alert on your files. A fraud alert warns creditors that you may be an identity theft victim and that they should verify that anyone seeking credit in your name really is you.
File your taxes early — as soon as you have the tax information you need, before a scammer can. Tax identity theft happens when someone uses your Social Security number to get a tax refund or a job. Respond right away to letters from the IRS.
In addition to the suggestions above, a few years ago I took advantage of a free service my bank offers to set up notifications when transactions exceed various amounts or when my account drops to a certain monetary level. It was easy to do.
The most thorough article I read on how to engage with the credit reporting companies is titled, "Identity Theft, Credit Reports, and You" and is written by a guy who stated that he used to ghostwrite letters to credit reporting agencies and banks. I don't know him. However, some of his points seem valid. Read the article HERE and decide for yourself.
Even if you are overwhelmed with life's circumstance, I encourage you to take a few minutes and review your credit report. Carve out some time to shield yourself to online predators.
I would love to know what you are doing to protect your personal information. Please share.
Be Encouraged,
Angela M. Odom
Author, Mindset Coach, Entreprenuer
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Angela
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