Pay Attention To Notices Of Breach Of Data

Most of us have received at least one letter from a company you do business with warning you they were hacked and that some of your information on you was released.

In the past, the information shared with you about what type of data was ambiguous, not anymore. Apparently, the rules have changed and now you are told specifically what information about the data.

I received one of those letters yesterday and almost blew it off but read down to what information was taken. I was shocked!

Here’s what information was compromised.

My name

City

State

Zip Code

Email

Telephone number

Date of birth

Gender

That is enough information for Identity Theft and it scares the hell out of me. Not only for that reason but I’ve been stalked several times and now my information is shared with who and how many.

This breach of data came from a hospital where I had testing done in June. Don’t forget to read the information on what information was taken so you can take steps to protect yourself.

A couple of things you can do right away is:

Have your credit card notify you every time there is a charge of $50.

Have your bank send you daily notices of balance.

Check your credit score often, and look to see if any accounts have been opened in your name.

Take their offer for a free credit check and free credit monitoring.

Don’t give the bartender your credit card to hold while you drink or dine.

Be very selective with who you share your credit card number with if any.

Stay aware of what theft is going on in the area, especially credit card readers, ATM’s and never give any of your information to someone on the phone you don’t know. I probably would not give any information over the phone. You can’t be sure the number they’re calling from is really the number.

Keep your eyes open, thieves are looking for information 24/7, and when they have enough information, like in my case, they strike so fast your head spins. It can take years to untangle the mess and you will have to pay some amount to clear your credit score.

I also think about thieves selling your information to other thieves. Also if your information is shared on the Internet, it’s out there forever.

Melinda