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Idaho AG warns consumers in wake of Equifax hack |
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September 13, 2017 |
Hackers recently accessed the personal
information of 143 million Americans at Equifax,
one of the nation’s largest credit reporting
agencies. The exposed data includes consumers’
names, Social Security Numbers, birth dates,
addresses, and, in some instances, driver’s
license numbers.
Hackers also stole credit card numbers for about
209,000 consumers and dispute documents with
personal identifying information for about
182,000 consumers.
“This was a large breach and has the potential
to affect many Idahoans,” Attorney General
Lawrence Wasden said. “I recommend anyone whose
information might have been compromised to take
the steps outlined below to minimize their
exposure. In the meantime, my office is
reviewing the matter to determine the
appropriate legal steps to take on behalf of the
State of Idaho and its consumers.”
Consumers should take the following steps to
help protect their information from misuse and
to prevent identity theft:
* Find out of if your information was exposed. From a
secure computer and an encrypted network
connection, visit Equifax’s website at
www.equifaxsecurity2017.com and click on the tab
“Potential Impact.” Enter your last name and the
last six digits of your Social Security Number.
The website will tell you if your information
was stolen.
* Enroll in free credit monitoring services. Regardless
of whether your information was stolen, you can
get a year of free credit monitoring from
Equifax. Information about the free service is
provided on Equifax’s website. Other companies
offer similar programs.
* Monitor your credit reports. Go to
www.annualcreditreport.com to obtain free
copies of your credit reports from Equifax,
Experian, and TransUnion. Look for unusual
accounts or activities that may indicate
identity theft. For detailed information about
what to do if you suspect identity theft, visit
www.identitytheft.gov.
Consider placing a credit freeze on your credit
reporting files. A credit freeze makes it
difficult to open new accounts in your name. A
fraud alert warns creditors that you may be a
victim of identity theft. For more information
about credit freezes and fraud alerts, visit the
Attorney General’s website at
www.ag.idaho.gov.
Consumers who take these steps will not waive
their right to take future legal action against
the company. In the last several days, Equifax
has removed arbitration-related language from
its terms of use.
Consumers can visit
www.identitytheft.gov/databreach for more
information about how to protect their personal
information following a data breach. |
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