If you are concerned due to the breach and want to protect yourself from the hack, this is what you can do…
CHECK YOUR CREDIT REPORT
The US government guarantees everyone a free annual credit report from the three major bureaus at annualcreditreport.com. When looking through your reports, keep an eye out for new accounts you didn’t open, late payments on debts you don’t recognize, and any other activity that looks unfamiliar.
FREEZE YOUR CREDIT
One of the most reliable ways to prevent someone from opening credit in your name is to place a Credit Freeze on your credit report. If you would like to unfreeze your account in order to apply for credit, you will need to provide a PIN that you will create when you initially froze your credit report. The process is usually automated and can be completed within a few minutes. Just be sure to keep your PINs in a secure place. There may be a fee associated with this service so please ask the credit bureau what their fee is to freeze or unfreeze your credit report.
To freeze your credit report, contact each of the credit bureaus using these phone numbers:
Equifax: 1-800-349-9960
Experian: 1 888 397 3742
TransUnion: 1-888-909-8872
SET A FRAUD ALERT
When a fraud alert is set, credit companies will be required to verify your identity before opening an account. Once the alert is set, it will last 90 days.
To set a fraud alert, call one of the credit bureaus (you do not need to call all 3).
Equifax: 1-888-766-0008
Experian: 1-888-397-3742
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289
MONITOR
Monitor your existing credit card and monetary accounts closely for charges you don’t recognize. If you notice anything questionable on your statements, please call us at 808.737.4328.