I've written and re-written the "tip" below multiple times over the last 10 days and am still not totally sure about the recommendations. I'd love to hear from you if you have different information or suggestions!
The Equifax breach continues in the news. Hopefully, you all have read about the breach and may have already taken some steps to minimize possible damage.
I've watched the news; I've read the news. One this is certain: You should not ignore this breach; you need to take some actions to protect yourself. It seems there are some recurring suggestions and I've listed those below but I'd welcome responses/suggestions from all of you.
1) Visit https://www.equifaxsecurity2017.com/ and scroll to the bottom of the page. Click on the Potential Impact button to check your vulnerability. However, it is safe to say that MOST of us had identity information that was stolen from Equifax. (Our son living in Germany is the only one in the family who appears to be "safe.")
2) Use the above link to Enroll in the complimentary year of free credit file monitoring being provided by Equifax.
3) Consider putting a freeze on your credit....with all three reporting agencies (Equifax, TransUnion and Experian). This is a great article explaining how/why to do that.
4) File your taxes as early as you possibly can next year before a scammer can claim your tax refund.
5) Monitor and continue to monitor for years to come your credit card statements.
6) Request a free credit report from Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax on a rotating basis - one company every 4 months. Put a reminder on your calendar to do this. You can request one report per year and this will not hurt your credit score. Spreading them out every 4 months will allow you to regularly monitor your credit reports.
No comments:
Post a Comment