[conspire] Fwd: Equifax data theft - this is a big deal

[Don Marti]

begin Elise Scher quotation of Sun, Sep 10, 2017 at 12:45:37AM -0700:

> My friend is not so technical. But does she have a valid concern?

Yes, but checking that Equifax site is probably
not the best next step.  "Freezing" is a good idea
whether one of the companies that screwed up and let
your data get stolen thinks that it happened or not.

In general, web forms and call centers are not your
friend, but you might want to get an extra book of
stamps next time you're at the post office.

  http://www.kalzumeus.com/2017/09/09/identity-theft-credit-reports/

> Elise Scher
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Susan Landes <intheflow88 at hotmail.com>
> Date: Sat, Sep 9, 2017 at 7:20 PM
> Subject: Equifax data theft - this is a big deal
> To: Susan Landes <intheflow88 at hotmail.com>
> 
> 
> Equifax reported a cyber theft yesterday - 143 Million people in the US (
> that's roughly half!) have had their name, social security number and birth
> date stolen.  This is huge - that is enough information to take loans out
> in your name, open credit card accounts, even break into your online
> banking and transfer money out of your account while you sleep.  And the
> risk never ends - the cyber thieves can use the information ten years from
> now as easily as tomorrow.  Because of the permanence of this threat,
> offers of 90 day fraud alert and 1 year of credit monitoring are woefully
> inadequate.
> 
> Every adult and every child with a bank account needs to go to
> www.equifaxsecurity2017.com and check if their information has been
> compromised.  If it has, you have my sympathy: this is going to be a life
> long battle for you.  It won't end until you get a new social security
> number.  I recommend that you do three things immediately.  First, contact
> Equifax, Experian and TransUnion and place a freeze on credit reports.
> This may cost $10 a bureau.  From this day forward, anything you do that
> requires a credit check (open an account, buy a car, rent an apartment...)
> will require that you use a PIN to temporarily thaw the credit freeze so
> the report can go through.  Note that business you already have a
> relationship with can access even frozen credit.  Second, for every account
> you have at a bank, credit union, investment company, mortgage company -
> anything to do with money, access their online interface and make sure they
> are verifying all important transactions with your cell phone.  Accounts
> you don't currently access online are particularly vulnerable - cyber
> criminals will create the account for you.  Third, on those same online
> accounts set up notifications so that you get an email or text if anything
> of significance happens.
> 
> Here is a more complete article talking about what to do:
> http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/09/08/heres-what-to-do-
> if-youre-worried-about-the-equifax-hack/?source=email&
> utm_source=postup&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=757360
> 
> You don't have to have ever interacted with Equifax or used their services
> to be at risk.  It is their business to harvest sensitive financial
> information about you without your knowledge or permission.
> 
> 
> It's hard to find the link at that site.  Here's where you find out if your
> data was stolen.  Mine was :(
> 
> https://trustedidpremier.com/eligibility/eligibility.html
> 
> This is a system in breakdown.  I look forward to seeing what replaces it.
> 
> Susan
> 
> "Whenever love is poured into your heart or sent out as a blessing to
> others, the light of all things awakens." -Matt Kahn
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> KI6PUO

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-- 
Don Marti <dmarti at zgp.org>                   
http://zgp.org/~dmarti/
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