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Victim of Identity Theft? Here Are The Steps to Take.

ATM

Another data breach is rocking the country; this time, hackers have stolen data from Anthem Insurance, putting 80 million Americans at risk.

The stolen data includes names, addresses, Social Security numbers, dates of birth and other information.

In light of the breach, the Better Business Bureau is reminding consumers how to handle being a victim of identity theft.

The steps you should take if you find you’re a victim, according to the BBB:

1) Consider taking a preemptive strike by freezing your credit reports. This will not impact existing credit cards and financial accounts, but will create a roadblock for thieves seeking to create fraudulent accounts using your personal information.Do not take a “wait and see” approach as you may have done with breaches involving credit card data. You must act quickly. Breaches involving Social Security numbers have the potential to be far more detrimental to victims, and the damage can be difficult to repair.

2) At a minimum, if you know your Social Security number has been compromised, place a fraud alert on your credit reports. While less effective than a freeze, this will provide an extra layer of protection. Click here to learn more about security freezes and fraud alerts.

3) Take advantage of the free credit monitoring services Anthem will be offering to breach victims. While this is not a preventative measure, this will alert you to new accounts or inquiries using your Social Security number so that you can act quickly to repair the damage.

4) Vigilance is key. Regularly check your credit reports at annualcreditreport.com for unauthorized charges or other signs of fraud. (NOTE: This is the only free credit report option authorized by the Federal Trade Commission.)

5) For more information and complete step-by-step guidance on repairing the damage caused by identity theft, visit the FTC’s identity theft resources.

6) Expect that scammers will take advantage of this data breach to send out phishing emails and other messages that appear to be from Anthem, a credit bureau or other legitimate companies. Do not click on links from any email, text or social media messages about this or any other data breach.

 

 Photo by Daniel Foster

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