Things You Should Know About the Equifax Data Breach

By: Dorothy Riggs, CFE

On September 7, 2017 news outlets began reporting that Equifax, one of the three major consumer credit-reporting agencies, had been the target of a major data breach.  Based on Equifax’s investigation, cyber criminals gained unauthorized access to data from mid-May through July 2017. Equifax confirmed that exposed data includes credit card numbers for approximately 209,000 people and personal identifying information (PII) for about 182,000 people involved in credit report disputes.  PII includes sensitive information such as social security numbers, names, birth dates, driver licenses and addresses. According to reports, 143 million people could be affected by this breach. That being the case, you could absolutely be affected.

To find out if your data was compromised Equifax has set up a ‘Check Potential Impact’ site where you are asked to enter your last name and the last 6 digits of your social.  After doing so, you’ll receive a message letting you know whether your PII was included in the breach.

Here are my suggestions if you’re concerned that your PII has been stolen:

·         Check your credit report at least annually. More often, if possible.

·         Consider placing a fraud alert on credit report or possibly placing a freeze on your credit.  Conduct research first; then decide if either option would work for you.

·         Review bank account and credit card activity for unauthorized transactions or changes like phone numbers, address or issuance of additional cards.

Equifax is providing information, instructions and updates to customers via a dedicated security page on their website.  Here’s the link:  Equifax Security 2017

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) accepts ID theft reports.  They also provide valuable information to consumers regarding recovery.