Equifax Hacked

Discussion in 'Financial Cents' started by Witch Doctor 01, Sep 8, 2017.


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  1. Witch Doctor 01

    Witch Doctor 01 Mojo Maker

    Apparently Equifax was hacked in July and is just notifying folks... over 140million folks may be affected...

    a link to see if you are one of the unlucky ones is included...


    [ link removed for safety plus legal reasons ]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 8, 2017
  2. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    FWIW: Equifax is in the middle of notifying all affected people, so 'tis said in and on mass media. I'd be inclined to wait on notification rather than exposing myself at the link given above.
     
    sec_monkey likes this.
  3. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    My security said that site maybe fishy so I would not enroll via those people. I have Life lock, they do a great job monitoring my info. Due to Target, home depot and all the other ones that seem to get hacked, I am sure my info is out there somewhere.
     
    oldawg likes this.
  4. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    Now tell me WHY I should Trust you, Equifax, with more of my information by enrolling in some NEW Program when you Blew My Security with your OLD System... NOT going to do that...
     
  5. Idahoser

    Idahoser Monkey+++ Founding Member

    for a total of about $22, you can go to each of the three reporting agencies and put a permanent "Freeze" on your own account. Better than monitoring. If you later want to release info to a lender or employer for example, you can pause the lock for a day at the agency the lender asks for, or give them special permission in one of several other ways. Otherwise, no business will open an account in your name because the are unable to check your credit.

    Also, there is one legitimate way to get a free report from each of the three, once per year (so for best results, three times during the year, you get one free report - spread them out through the year)
    Annual Credit Report.com - Home Page
     
    Mountainman and Motomom34 like this.
  6. sec_monkey

    sec_monkey SM Security Administrator

  7. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    sec_monkey likes this.
  8. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    I never knew you could do this. Do you have more information on this? I paid for the premium life lock so they would ding me when some one pulled my credit report. $22 dollars sounds better then $300. Yes, I spent $300 but I read one story after another of peoples info being stolen so I wanted to know immediately if an account is opened in my name or with my information. A friend of mine had their identity stolen, it was horrible. It really impacted their life.
     
    Gator 45/70 and Dunerunner like this.
  9. mysterymet

    mysterymet Monkey+++

    Yeah we just singned up for lifelock too
     
  10. Idahoser

    Idahoser Monkey+++ Founding Member

    Well, I had intended to sign up for a service like LifeLock, but what I was reading was that they're only sort of useful, that you can do what they do yourself and do a better job. And along in there, was also the info about the freeze. You have to do each one individually, and each one charges a small one-time fee (it was in the vicinity of $7 each, not all identical but all similar).

    You go to the site of each of the three, you answer a ton of questions to verify that you are you, and you pay them to apply the freeze. You get a password that you need to save.

    What then happens is, any time you want to open a new account somewhere, or apply for a job, or any number of other events that you want to happen, the other party runs a credit check on you with one or more of these three agencies, and they are presented with a denial. If it's a legitimate transaction that you want to happen, you find out which of the three they want to query, and you go to the site for that agency and temporarily remove the freeze, I usually set this to expire after two days. That opens it for any inquiry from anywhere for that period. Or, I have not done this, you are supposed to be able to provide your party with a password to get into it without opening it wide. I certainly would not give them my main password for the freeze, if that's what it takes. Each of the three probably has their own process but I haven't checked.

    I have my calendar set to remind me to get one report every four months, today I did TransUnion. My report shows that the freeze is in place and that I'm opted out of them providing my info for marketing lists. I don't remember if all of them offered this option, probably so. I've had this freeze in place for a couple years now, and I get very little mail trying to sell me stuff.

    I didn't keep all the links where I learned of this, but here's a couple I was able to find.
    Fairly good overview How to freeze your credit after a data breach
    He gives phone numbers, I did mine online.

    Equifax | PersonalIDInfo

    Place a Security Freeze on Your Credit | TransUnion

    Credit Freeze FAQs

    Credit Freeze Guide: The best way to protect yourself against identity theft
     
    Motomom34, sec_monkey and Dunerunner like this.
  11. Mountainman

    Mountainman Großes Mitglied Site Supporter+++

    Did not check the above links, but below is what I sent out to my email contacts a while back and used to lock my own credit.


    Just finished putting credit freezes on my accounts for all 3 credit reporting companies and it only cost $30. Costs vary depending on the state you live in and sometimes your age.

    Equifax and Experian are easy to do online.

    With TransUnion (888-909-8872) I would call since online you have to sign up for an account and then it told me to call them anyway in the end. When you call have them transfer you to the US since you will be talking to someone in India.

    Credit freeze info and where I got the below links from.
    Credit Freeze FAQs

    Equifax | PersonalIDInfo

    Security Freeze Center at Experian

    Place a Security Freeze on Your Credit | TransUnion
     
    Idahoser likes this.
  12. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    [ link removed for safety plus legal reasons ]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 10, 2017
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