Security Breach Assistance

In Case of Stolen Credit Information, Batten Down the Hatches NOW!

As of September 10, 2018, the 500 million Marriot ‘Starwood’ brand property customers are just the latest in a long line of massive data breaches. There will certainly be more to come. The customers whose personal and payment card information is now up for grabs on the black market of the internet, the Dark Web, have some scrambling to do.

If you are the victim of any type of credit fraud, do not hesitate to take these crucial steps immediately:

Check your credit reports, from all 3 major repositories:
Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union. Any new accounts or unknown activity can be a result of identity theft. There are several reputable sites where you can get an annual ‘freebie’: annualcreditreport.com or www.freecreditreport.com.

If you see unknown accounts on your credit report, go to:
identitytheft.gov to see how to proceed.

Scour your credit card statements for unknown transactions and contact the issuer in the event of fraudulent charges.
Requesting a new payment card number is highly advisable. Even the best credit card watchdogs can miss transactions that may seem out of the ordinary and fail to alert you.

Put a ‘Fraud Alert’ on your credit files to alert creditors to verify when someone is using your name for any type of credit, whether it’s $100 worth of gas or a million-dollar mortgage.
There is no charge, and a fraud alert typically lasts for a full year

Consider placing a free Credit Freeze on your credit reports.
This can be cumbersome, as it makes it much harder for ANYONE to open a new account in your name, as it sets up additional verifications for those who are authorized to open new accounts. This will not prevent the thieves from accessing the accounts they’ve already stolen.