Epic Equifax Breach Hits 143 Million: What to Do Now

Status
Not open for further replies.

happyfeelin

Prominent
Sep 7, 2017
1
0
510
Question...why would I want to use an Equifax sponsored Identity Theft Service (which is exactly what was violated?).....Lifelock maybe but perhaps instead of selling services that protect us from their failures, they should work on shoring up their primary business,...just saying...
 

justinloase

Prominent
Sep 7, 2017
3
0
510
your last name and the last six digits of your Social Security information......nty and why isn't this all over the major news?
 

pfay

Prominent
Sep 7, 2017
1
0
510
If I have been breached will it hurt my credit rating if I check my credit score?
Lets all start at an 800 rating from here.
I think Experian and TransUnion did he hacking.
 

justinloase

Prominent
Sep 7, 2017
3
0
510


Tyler Durden did it
 

yannisgk

Honorable
Dec 30, 2012
8
0
10,510


NOT TOO EMBARASS THE "POOR" AMERICAN CITIZENS!!!

 

PeterKendrick

Commendable
Aug 10, 2016
49
0
1,610
Moreover, for the voluntary service they are providing after the effects in fact they lure people into accepting the rights of waive.
 

rgd1101

Don't
Moderator


Could you stop shouting?
 

USAFRet

Illustrious
Moderator


It is.
I saw it on the news last night, and again this morning.

There is also the other little news story...a major hurricane about to decimate Florida.
 

ray.lipham

Prominent
Sep 8, 2017
1
0
510
The breach was bad enough but Equifax's response to the breach is deplorable. If you go to their site for the breach, they just give you the "opportunity" to sign up for a credit monitoring service at some future date. They don't even bother to acknowledge that your data has been compromised. And guess who provides this wonderful credit monitoring service? Equifax! Equifax is treating this breach like a business opportunity. Yep, they just signed up 143 million new customers for their credit monitoring service and they will no doubt convert some of those customers to paying customers after the first year of free service. Also note the following quote from the "Los Angeles Times" (Michael Hiltzik) "Even worse, the TrustedID terms of service state that enrollees give up their right to sue Equifax and prevents them from filing or joining a class action in the case of any dispute — they’ll have to go to arbitration as individuals, which almost always places consumers at a disadvantage."

Furthermore, this breach more than a credit risk exposure. The compromised data is the key to most of your financial accounts: bank accounts, broker accounts, Social Security, pensions, etc.. If you need to reset your password for an account, what data do companies use to validate your identity? They use the same data that was exposed in this breach: birth date, social security number, and address. Even if email addresses and phone numbers were not exposed in this breach, that data can be derived from cross referencing public databases with names and addresses that were included in the breach. Also, just using the data that was compromised, anyone could file a fraudulent tax return for a tax refund.

Most of the major breaches in the past have involved credit card numbers, email addresses, or passwords. OK, I can fix that by cancelling a credit card, changing my email address, or changing a password. Is Equifax going to issue me a new Social Security number and birth date? I think not so the risk caused by this breach will follow me for the rest of my life.

In a nutshell, here is Equifax's response to this breach: We gave away the keys to your financial assets for your entire life so we are compensating you by providing a credit monitoring service free for one year. Wow, what a deal.

In case you haven't figured this out yet, I'm mad as hell about this breach. I've spent many hours of my life protecting my identity by shredding documents, limiting exposure to personal data (not publicly listing birth date, phone numbers, or email addresses), monitoring credit reports, and securing accounts with complex passwords. Now, thanks to Equifax, all of that effort was for naught. Millions of Americans have been digitally exposed, naked so to speak, thanks to Equifax. I hope this breach bankrupts them. That would be an appropriate punishment because they have exposed millions of Americans to the same risk.
 

justinloase

Prominent
Sep 7, 2017
3
0
510


Yes now, but not at the time of my post. Furthermore, they have been aware of the breach since jun-july '17. After allowing some time for discovery; the public should have been notified 3-4 weeks ago.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.