OT: Equifax Data Breach, Danger of Identity Theft

JohnInCarolina

I'm a little concerned that with all the focus on the recent hurricanes, this story is getting lost in the shuffle:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/equifax-hack-hits-credit-histories-of-up-to-143-million-americans/2017/09/07/a4ae6f82-941a-11e7-b9bc-b2f7903bab0d_story.html

143 Million Americans!  That is a HUGE breach, which is unreal given the fact that Equifax's ONLY JOB is to collect and store people's personal data.  Heads should roll at that company over this.  Even worse that they've known about the breach for more than a month and are only now informing the public.

Our PII was stolen a few years ago as part of the breach of the government database (I'm a contractor).  We didn't find out about this until we went to file our taxes, and learned that someone had already submitted a fraudulent claim with our info.  Trust me you do not want anything close to this to happen to you.  The IRS office makes the DMV look like a model of professionalism and efficiency.  

Be on the lookout for direct mail from Equifax.  That is how they're supposed to be informing people whose info was compromised.  They also have a website where you can submit your name and SSN and they'll let you know somehow, but I'm not sure I'd trust a company that just had such a breach with that kind of data at this point.  

GATraveller

Awesome.  
And you're right.....of all the companies that should NOT have this happen...they should be at the top of that list.  Identity theft is no joke as it isn't just financial anymore.

NPHuskerFL

Congrats to Equifax!  That's larger than that of the two or three data breaches by DOD in recent years. In which 2x my info was compromised. 
Yes, that seems legit....punch in my name and SSN onto their website

RRP

I just saw this crap!!! These 3 sob's BETTER be investigated!!!

Bloomberg News reported Thursday evening that three company executives — Chief Financial Officer John W. Gamble; Joseph M. Loughran III, the president of U.S. information solutions; and Rodolfo O. Ploder, the president of workforce solutions — sold large amounts of their shares of Equifax stock totaling nearly $1.8 million in the days after the breach was discovered July 29. The Washington Post confirmed the sales based on Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

The stock trades were not part of a previous scheduled sale, federal filings show.

A company spokeswoman, Ines Gutzmer, said in an email Thursday night: “The three executives who sold a small percentage of their Equifax shares on Tuesday, August 1, and Wednesday, August 2, had no knowledge that an intrusion had occurred at the time they sold their shares.”

yea, right, sure, you betcha...

YEMTrey

http://local12.com/news/nation-world/equifax-says-executives-who-sold-stock-were-unaware-of-massive-security-breach

Oops. RRP beat me to the punch.  This is total BS!

DoubleEgger

Yup. 

Legume

I believe the equifax page to check if you were part of the breach only collects partial SS# and is used to reserve a place in line for you to register for the free credit monitoring they are offering to everyone.  If your data were exposed in the breach, they will notify you from that entry.

kl8ton

They didn't know about it. . . 

They did not receive the information on company letterhead, so they didn't know about it.  

You can't really choose to use their services or not use their services.  If you get your credit pulled (i just did several times for construction loan and refi after construction was done) they receive your info and report on you.  

I tried their online "see if you could be a victim" link.  It was useless.  It did not confirm anything.  I will wait for my letter in the mail.  Funny how your info can be stolen in a millisecond and it takes weeks to generate a mass mailing and they snail mail you the info.  It's the same with banks.  If something his happening with your account that is suspicious, they send you a letter.  THANKS!

GoldenQ

Yeah   we just got a bogus 2000 charge our credit monitor called  us about  and now getting new card numbers

DoubleEgger

If those folks are telling truth and didn't know, that's even sadder. How could they not know? What kind of organization are they running?

JohnInCarolina

Equifax when you apply for a loan: yeah you missed one payment to the gas company 12 years ago, so we're sorry no loan for you.

Equifax after this breach: what can we say, sh!t happens!

DoubleEgger

Probably time for me to get LifeLock 

bgebrent

Put a credit freeze on at each of the 3 companies: Experian, Equifax and Transunion.

RRP

I know I'm at a different age cycle than most of you here, but years ago I locked down my credit reporting at all 3 bureaus. That is a feature by law they have to abide by which means they can not disclose ANYTHING in my file without written permission from me to do so. Obviously I'm not borrowing anything nor even opening new credit cards. Now, with that said, I'm still wondering if my file was breached, so I too am anxious hoping I don't hear from them!!!

JohnInCarolina

RRP said:

I know I'm at a different age cycle than most of you here, but years ago I locked down my credit reporting at all 3 bureaus. That is a feature by law they have to abide by which means they can not disclose ANYTHING in my file without written permission from me to do so. Obviously I'm not borrowing anything nor even opening new credit cards. Now, with that said, I'm still wondering if my file was breached, so I too am anxious hoping I don't hear from them!!!

Good thinking Ron, seriously.  I saw one article on this issue where a former employee of Equifax and a credit expert was suggesting that EVERYONE lock up their credit reporting, right now.  THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

Cookbook_Chip

Looks like LifeLock is getting lots of new biz.  I just signed up and got my welcome email saying I'm now covered.  But trying to login to their site is timing out.  Too much traffic!

kl8ton

Cookbook_Chip said:

Looks like LifeLock is getting lots of new biz.  I just signed up and got my welcome email saying I'm now covered.  But trying to login to their site is timing out.  Too much traffic!

I wonder if the three managers from equifax bought stock in lifelock as they sold their equifax stock.

Cookbook_Chip

kl8ton said:

Cookbook_Chip said:

Looks like LifeLock is getting lots of new biz.  I just signed up and got my welcome email saying I'm now covered.  But trying to login to their site is timing out.  Too much traffic!

I wonder if the three managers from equifax bought stock in lifelock as they sold their equifax stock.

sure wish I had

JohnInCarolina

https://twitter.com/kyshoc/status/906028906855096320

These SOBs!

fishlessman

JohnInCarolina said:

https://twitter.com/kyshoc/status/906028906855096320

These SOBs!

how, when, or where did i agree to any of that, is it on mortgage agrrements, credit card agreements etc, seems like plenty of places to start a class action

Legume

well, the lawyers won't get paid and I won't get a check for $0.05, what else is impacted ?

JohnInCarolina

All Duke faculty just received a recommendation from our Chief Information Security Officer to put a credit freeze in place with the 3 credit reporting groups, right away.  

He also recommended people read this piece:

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/06/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-embrace-the-security-freeze/

DoubleEgger

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VrKEVZcSxNM

Gulfcoastguy

They had ONE job!  Have the IRS audit all the senior management and all of the IT staff regardless of rank. Then leak their Tinder profiles to Julian Assange.

JohnInCarolina

@DoubleEgger -great movie, love that quote.  I actually like it better than the original (from Nietzsche) 

“He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster . . . when you gaze long into the abyss the abyss also gazes into you”

GrateEggspectations

DoubleEgger said:

Probably time for me to get LifeLock 

LifeLock is not all it's cracked up to be....

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.wired.com/2010/05/lifelock-identity-theft/amp

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2010/03/lifelock-will-pay-12-million-settle-charges-ftc-35-states

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2015/12/lifelock-pay-100-million-consumers-settle-ftc-charges-it-violated

HeavyG

GrateEggspectations said:

DoubleEgger said:

Probably time for me to get LifeLock 

LifeLock is not all it's cracked up to be....

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.wired.com/2010/05/lifelock-identity-theft/amp

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2010/03/lifelock-will-pay-12-million-settle-charges-ftc-35-states

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2015/12/lifelock-pay-100-million-consumers-settle-ftc-charges-it-violated

Yeah, I remember back in the early days of Lifelock the CEO used to brag about how secure it was and he had his SS# pasted on billboards and other ads and...someone hacked in and stole his info.

HeavyG

I haven't really paid much attention to the Equifax thing but was the nature of their data breach such that locking down your info at the major credit reporting firms have made any difference?

It's one thing to stop a credit agency from just intentionally giving out your info to pretty much anyone that asks, it's a whole other matter if hackers are getting into a corporate network and just vacuuming up info.

bgebrent

As stated above, just freeze your accounts at all 3 companies and keep up with your PINs. 

HeavyG

bgebrent said:

As stated above, just freeze your accounts at all 3 companies and keep up with your PINs. 

There are four consumer credit bureaus, including Equifax, Experian, Innovis and Trans Union. 

HeavyG

JohnInCarolina said:

https://twitter.com/kyshoc/status/906028906855096320

These SOBs!