One option after data breach: Freeze your credit
Doing so could help thwart aspects of identity theft
By: Mike Snider
USA Today
..... By now, you've probably heard about a massive data breach that compromised the Social Security numbers and other data of millions of Americans and could now be in the hands of hackers.
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The cache of data is made up of 2.9 billion records including names, addresses, Social Security numbers and relatives dating back at least three decades, according to law firm Schubert, Jonckheer & Kolbe.
..... The San Francisco firm has filed a class-action lawsuit against National Public Data, which aggregates data to offer background searches. The lawsuit alleges the company did not adequately protect the information, allowing it to be stolen and offered for sale on the dark web.
..... People "now face years of constant surveillance of their financial and personal records, munitioning, and loss of rights," because of the breach, according to the complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and first reported on by Bloomberg Law.
..... If you are concerned about the integrity of your cerise because your personal information may have been stolen you can place a freeze on your credit reports as a way to protect against unauthorized borrowing.
..... This credit freeze, also sometimes called a security freeze, prevents creditors from accessing your credit report, according to the U.S. General Services Administration.
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"Everyone should consider freezing their credit report with each major credit bureau because it;s free and it will prevent unauthorized individuals from opening credit cards or taking out loans in your name, Odysseas Papadioamitrious, the CEO of personal finance site WalletHub told USA Today.
..... Good reason to freeze your credit? If your social Security number wasn't in the National Public data breach, "It probably was in a previous breach or will be soon," Papadimitriou said. "The sad reality is that our personal information is out there. Savvy consumers simply need to make sure they are tough targets for fraudster with stolen personal information."
..... Freezing hes said. once a credit freeze is started, you will need to life it should you want to create new accounts yourself, perhaps to buy a home or car or get a new credit card.
..... It's free to have your credit report frozen. But you must contact all three major credit reporting lineages; Equalfax, Experian and TransUnion.
..... You can submit your request Online, by phone or by mail. agencies must freeze your credit report within one day when you submit it Online or by phone, according to the General Service Administration, Freeze requests sent by mail must be enacted within three business days.
..... Agencies must life the freeze within an hour if your request it be unfrozen Online or by phone, and within there business days by mail.
..... "Taking steps like freezing your credit, changing your passwords regularly, and signing up for bank account and credit monitoring makes it harder for criminals to put stolen info to sue," Papadimitrious said.