Data Breach Victims – 5 Steps to Take if You Have Had Your Identity Stolen

Each and every single day, data thefts put people’s private and financial information at risk. There are steps that you, as an identity theft victim, can take to safeguard your financial accounts, your identities, and tax returns.

5 Steps to Take When You Have Your Identity Stolen

Normally, thieves want to use the stolen info as quickly as possible. That may mean selling your data on the Dark Web so it can be used by other criminals. It may also mean the crook might attempt to withdraw money from your bank account or charge your credit cards. A burglar might also try to submit a fraudulent tax return since they have your name to get your refund.

1. If possible, you should try to determine what information the thieves compromised.
2. Breached companies often provide credit monitoring services to victims. You should consider taking advantage of those offers.
3. You must put a freeze on your credit accounts to prevent access to credit documents. There may be a fee which varies by state. At the very least, you should put a fraud alert on your credit accounts by contacting one of the 3 big credit bureaus. A fraud alert on credit documents is not as protected as a freeze, but a fraud alert is free.
4. You should reset passwords on your accounts. It is particularly important to reset the passwords of financial sites, email and social networking accounts. Some specialists recommend at least 10-digit passwords mixing letters, numbers, and special characters. It smart to use different passwords for each account, using a password manager, or password generation app if needed.
5. You should utilize multi-factor authentication when accessible. Some financial institutions, email providers, and social media sites make it possible for users to place their account to get multi-factor authentication. This means you may be asked for a security code, normally sent as a text for your mobile phone, in addition to a username and password.

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