Data breaches affect millions of Americans every year. Recent breaches into companies like Sony PlayStation Network, Citigroup and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney have made their customers vulnerable to identity theft and other fraud because personal information - such as birth date, mother's maiden name, and Social Security number - was exposed.
What should you do if this happens to you? Review these five (5) steps to keep your personal information as safe as possible:- Review the breached account. Identify what personal information it contained and what was compromised.
- Change your user login credentials. Change your password immediately. If you use the same passwords for other financial institutions, change them as well.
- Review your credit reports for any unusual activity. Visit annualcreditreport.com, the government-mandated source for free credit reports. Investigate suspicious activity and stay on top of it until the matter is resolved. Also, look for signs of fraud in your medical files, on your Social Security statement, in insurance claims, or in public records.
- Place a fraud alert on your credit file. An alert placed with one of the three major credit bureaus signals to potential creditors that you could be a victim of identity theft.
- Initial Fraud Alerts last for 90 days and require potential creditors to confirm the legitimacy of your identity before granting credit.
- Extended Fraud Alerts last for seven years. Victims of identity theft who provide credit bureaus with an identity theft report like this one are eligible.
- Consider placing a security freeze on your credit report. A freeze locks access to your credit, so no one will be able to open a new account in your name.
Article Source: McGinley, Brian. http://www.businessinsider.com |
 | Contact Us
|
The Peoples Community Bank
222 W. Commercial St.
Mazomanie, WI 53560
(608) 795-2120
(800) 795-2151
| 
|
|
