![]() Abuse of Social Security Number (SSN) - A Social Security number is possibly the most important government-issued identification for American citizens.Experts are recommending that people file their taxes early to preempt such scams. Your address, date of birth and other PII can be used to file bogus tax returns and claim tax refunds in your name. One increasingly common scam is tax identity theft. Stolen identity- PII can be used to validate the identity of someone opening a bank or credit account in another person’s name, or even apply for a loan or mortgage.Whether you are directly affected by this specific breach or not, here are some threats to watch out for: ![]() Certain information from the hack (SSN, birthdate, driver’s license) are classified as Personally Identifiable Information (PII), which is highly valuable to cybercriminals because it can be used in many different ways. Historically, we’ve seen this type of data traded in underground markets, where different criminals use them for different purposes. It’s not clear what the hackers have done or are planning to do with the data. That means that for more than three months, the data of 143 million people was left exposed and they were unable to take the necessary steps to protect themselves. The Equifax breach was reported in early September, but the company suggested the breach could have started as early as May 2017. Some companies offer credit protection services as part of their insurance coverage, which people may want to avail. Customers are entitled to a free credit report every twelve months from the three major consumer reporting companies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). You can apply through the organizations’ websites: Initial fraud alerts last 90 days, while extended alerts last seven years. ![]()
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