Data Breach Recovery
If you have a credit report, there’s a good chance that your sensitive personal information has been exposed to a data breach. The steps below can help prepare you for this unfortunate event, if you find this has happened to you.
Steps You Can Take to Help Protect Yourself after a Data Breach
-
Check your credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — for free — by visiting annualcreditreport.com. Accounts or activity that you don’t recognize could indicate identity theft. Visit IdentityTheft.gov to find out what to do.
-
Consider placing a credit freeze on your files. A credit freeze makes it harder for someone to open a new account in your name. Keep in mind that a credit freeze won’t prevent a thief from making charges to your existing accounts.
-
Monitor your existing credit card and bank accounts closely for charges you don’t recognize.
-
Consider placing a fraud alert on your files. A fraud alert warns creditors that you may be an identity theft victim and that they should verify that anyone seeking credit in your name really is you. -
File your taxes early — as soon as you have the tax information you need, before a scammer can. Tax identity theft happens when someone uses your Social Security number to get a tax refund or a job. Respond right away to letters from the IRS. Additional information is available from the IRS at https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/identity-protection.
-
Be Skeptical of Phone Calls: the IRS will never contact you by phone. Never provide confidential information over the phone unless you initiate the call and are confident the telephone number is correct.
Visit Identitytheft.gov/databreach to learn more about protecting yourself after a data breach.
