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North Carolina’s Attorney General Josh Stein, says some five million North Carolinians may have been affected by the Equifax breach. Stein is working with other colleagues from other states to investigate this breach. In a statement released from his office, “if you are concerned about your own data, please take action. Check here to see if your data has been compromised in this breach. Equifax set up the site, where you can type in your last name and six digits of your Social Security number to find out if your data may have been compromised. Consumers can also call 866-447-7559 for information. The company says it will send mail to all who had personally identifiable information stolen.
Here’s little comfort, Equifax is hit with at least 23 class-action lawsuits over the massive cyberbreach. Also, the Senate Finance Committee wants answers when three of its executives, who sold almost $2 million in stock, knew of the massive cybersecurity breach the company experienced in July.
In North Carolina, it is free to initiate a security freeze if you do it online. A security freeze, or credit freeze, stops “new account fraud” so crooks can’t take out new lines of credit in your name no matter how much stolen private information they have about you. Please visit ncdoj.gov/creditfreeze to learn more and take action.
What can thieves do with that information, cyber security experts say they can open and max out credit cards in your name, use your identity to get prescriptions, steal your social security checks and tax returns and also pen crimes on you.
