The 2017 Equifax data breach was one of the most extensive data hacks this country has ever seen. In fact, this hack has compromised the personal information of over 148 million Americans.
Equifax is one of three national credit bureaus and if you’ve ever applied for a loan or had your credit score checked, your most sensitive information was probably stolen in the data breach. The type of information that was stolen is very valuable to identity thieves, so if your information was collected, it’s important and relevant to know how to prevent identity theft from happening to you.
The information that was leaked includes:
- Names
- Social Security numbers
- Birth dates
- Addresses
- Driver’s license numbers
- In some cases, credit card numbers
In response to the data hack, Equifax offered to freeze the credit of their consumers. But there’s a major problem with assuming this solves the problem: A credit freeze only protects you from the rarest form of identity theft—having new accounts opened in your name. Unfortunately, this type of identity theft only affects 4% of victims.1
The reality is that most victims of identity theft lose money from a current bank account. This type of theft affects 86% of identity theft cases, and getting a credit freeze won’t help.
Learn about ReliaShield’s identity theft protection plans now!
Freezing your credit is also a major inconvenience if you plan on actually needing to access your credit in the near future. When you need to apply for a home loan or if you want to open a new bank account, you’ll need to lift the credit freeze first. So it’s not just freezing your credit, it’s freezing your opportunities, too.
Here’s what you should do instead of (or in addition to) a credit freeze:
Make it a habit to monitor your current accounts. Use a credit-monitoring service like Credit Karma to look for red flags that could mean your identity has been stolen, like:
- A line of credit you didn’t open
- Inactive accounts that suddenly have activity on them
- Incorrect personal information
- One of your accounts is unexpectedly in collections
You should also log into your separate accounts to make sure all purchases were actually made by you. If you see something fishy, contact your bank immediately.
Use secure passwords and change them every 90 days. Because most identity theft affects existing accounts, one of the best things you can do is make your passwords hacker-proof. When creating your passwords, be sure to utilize:
- Uppercase and lowercase letters
- Special characters
- Longer than the minimum character count
- Random words put together
And don’t forget about the websites you shop with online. Any password for a website that stores your card information (for a more “convenient check-out”) should be treated with the same caution and security you would use with your bank accounts! For example, if someone were to hack into your Amazon account, how much damage could they do with the cards stored to your account? It’s important to make all your passwords complicated and change them regularly.
Be smart about identity-verification questions and answers. These types of questions can help make your account more secure, but not if the answers can be easily found on your social media accounts. Don’t choose questions like “Where were you born?” or “What is your pet’s name?” Don’t choose questions that can be answered with a simple Google search.
Have a reliable identity theft protection service in place. ReliaShield’s identity theft protection provides early detection safeguards to dramatically reduce your risk on the front end. With ReliaShield, you’ll also get:
- 100% recovery and restoration by a personalized team of specialists if you ever do become a victim of identity theft
- $1 million in stolen funds and expense reimbursement protection
- Instant notification as soon as account changes are detected
- All the support you need to live your life free of worrying about identity theft
Don’t leave your identity out there up and for grabs to the highest bidder or best hacker! Learn more about ReliaShield’s comprehensive identity theft protection today.
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