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Equifax Hack


Lee B

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ATLANTA (AP) -- Credit monitoring company Equifax says a breach exposed social security numbers and other data from about 143 million Americans.

The Atlanta-based company said Thursday that "criminals" exploited a U.S. website application to access files between mid-May and July of this year.

It said consumers' names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some cases, driver's license numbers were exposed. Credit card numbers for about 209,000 U.S. consumers were also accessed.

The company said hackers also accessed some "limited personal information" from British and Canadian residents.

 

Wow, if Equifax can get hacked, no one's information is safe !

Maybe I should go offgrid and deal in cash only !

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I already signed my family up on their website. It looks like three of us may have had our info leaked. Two of them came up that Equifax did not think that their info was involved. If they can't stop this stuff, I don't know how the heck I will be able to keep my computer safe without taking it completely off the Internet. 

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We froze our info on all three agencies a few years ago when Anthem was hacked.  Now that Equifax was hacked, that freeze is useless!  Like you say, nothing we can do short of leaving the grid entirely.

Hubby received an email to click on a link to see if our Equifax info was leaked.  Hubby does NOT click on links.

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23 minutes ago, Lion EA said:

Hubby received an email to click on a link to see if our Equifax info was leaked.  Hubby does NOT click on links.

Smart hubby!  I am sure that it will only be a matter of time (maybe minutes, but time) before scammers use this to their advantage.  I did go to Equifax's site and check, and my information is among that which is compromised.  Fun, fun. 

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2 hours ago, Lion EA said:

We froze our info on all three agencies a few years ago when Anthem was hacked.  Now that Equifax was hacked, that freeze is useless!  Like you say, nothing we can do short of leaving the grid entirely.

Hubby received an email to click on a link to see if our Equifax info was leaked.  Hubby does NOT click on links.

How does the hack make the freeze useless?

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The data was compromised months ago.  Any damage was already done, and not yet widely connected to the specific breach.

I choose to take what appears to be a minority view.  I accept my data is public (since it likely already is), and take appropriate steps to monitor and have backup plans in place for the few days it takes to repair damage.  This is a result of having several cards compromised over the years.  Have not had a credit report issue - with the now exception of one son asking me a few days ago to help clear some incorrect items off his reports (probably a common name issue, not fraud).

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I agree with Medlin.  I too have had cards compromised years ago and have always been proactive in checking all statements.  I've have a security freeze for a few years and easily lift it and reinstate easily, have had no issues.   As I understand it, even if they get our info, what good is it if there is a credit freeze.  They wouldn't even be able to get Netflix.

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The breach started at least as early as mid MAY.  The discovery date is said to be July 29.  A few days later, a few employees sold at least part of their stock (terrible timing at best). Public found out in early September.  Some delay is normal, to give folks a change to investigate, but waiting an entire month seems excessive.  It will be interesting to see how this washes out.

With the information they have custody of, and the common sense (not that it exists often) knowledge of their being a prime target, one would think there would be constant checking, so there would be zero cases of more than 2 months of an open door to data.

The real lesson is still to remember nothing is perfect, so anticipate, plan for, and insure for failure.

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3 hours ago, Catherine said:

WARNING for anyone who is thinking of signing up for the Equifax "TrustedID Premier" service.  If you agree to it, you are WAIVING your right ever to sue Equifax.

I'm not a litigious person. Free identity theft service is adequate compensation. I check my credit reports several times a year.

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4 hours ago, FDNY said:

even if they get our info, what good is it if there is a credit freeze

Depends on how good the "freeze" is.  Several years ago, my husband and I both had freezes on our accounts (prior data breach).  We forgot, and refinanced our house.  No trouble.  Four or five months AFTER the refi closed, one and *only* one of us got a notice that new credit had been applied for in our names.  

I set my calendar to check one of the credit companies every four months.  They each give you one free report a year; this gives me a 3 times a year check.

@Abby Normal you may not be a litigious person - neither am I.  However, it is a step one should KNOW that one is waiving.  And the notice is buried in disclaimers and fine print.

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Lion, you are right--a freeze did no good because the hackers went in behind the scenes and accessed our data.  Only legitimate inquirers like mortgage lenders and insurance companies were frozen out.  To FDNY, that data is of immense value even with a credit freeze.  Criminals can file tax returns for you, get a job under your SS#, get medical care under your name, open bank accounts with your data and launder money in them, etc.

From what I've read, the Equifax website is not yet functional enough to let people know if they were victims.  Most people are getting an offer of free credit monitoring.  It's still unclear if the mandatory arbitration clause applies to Equifax or just to the credit monitoring company (which Equifax owns).  I had credit monitoring a few years ago after another breach and did receive a call when I opened a new credit card.  I confirmed that I opened it, but at that point it was already open and if thieves had done it they could have charged a lot before I got the call.  I think monitoring offers a false sense of security.

I was really upset that that it took less than 24 hours after the announcement for Lion's husband to get a scam email that undoubtedly would require him to enter personal info.  I read a warning that people should beware phone scams supposedly from Equifax.  I feel that we are all under attack.

Now my rant:  The credit reporting agencies collect all kinds of data on us, without our consent, and make money selling it to whomever pays for it.  Those supposed breaches at the IRS IP PIN, transcript, and FAFSA apps were not breaches at all but thieves who had purchased credit reports and had enough info about the victim's prior addresses, loans, etc. (with additional personal info freely available on the internet and social media) to pass as the real person.  If I don't want my credit history shared I have to PAY them to freeze it (and unfreeze it if I want to shop my auto insurance or refi).   I am helpless to keep my financial info out of Equifax's database, have no control over whom they sell it to, and now it's gotten into the hands of criminals.  This breach affected over half of the US adult population, so if  you are a couple chances are at least one of you is involved.  Thanks to Equifax, we will all have to looking over our shoulders for the rest of our lives.  I will not join a class action but may sue them for $10m or more.  GRRRRRRRR.

 

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About the arbitration clause, there was quite an uproar about it, and they have since come out saying that it doesn't apply to this security breach. 

This update was added today on https://www.equifaxsecurity2017.com/

Quote

2). NO WAIVER OF RIGHTS FOR THIS CYBER SECURITY INCIDENT
In response to consumer inquiries, we have made it clear that the arbitration clause and class action waiver included in the Equifax and TrustedID Premier terms of use does not apply to this cybersecurity incident.

 

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16 minutes ago, Eric said:

they have since come out saying that it doesn't apply to this security breach

Translated:  we got caught covering our own hindquarters and are back-pedaling as fast as we can!  Just don't take away our insider trading dumped stock gains - those are for campaign contributions (to *all* the legis-vermin)!

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29 minutes ago, Catherine said:

Translated:  we got caught covering our own hindquarters and are back-pedaling as fast as we can!  Just don't take away our insider trading dumped stock gains - those are for campaign contributions (to *all* the legis-vermin)!

Oh yeah, no disagreement here,  but It's hard to feel outraged every single time some stinking rich a-holes do something like this without consequence. It's just the world we live in.

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According to the Equifax website, neither my wife or I had our information exposed. Yea !

  On the other hand, I just downloaded my free credit report from Trans Union

and I noticed that in the last eight months at least 8 different financial institutions

that I have never heard of have requested credit  information about me.

So now I get it, if you are a supposedly legitimate financial institution,

you can just buy someone's personal credit info from one of the big 3 credit reporting services

who are more than happy to sell it to them, since they are very profitable businesses.

This is the dark side of free enterprise. Everything is for sale ! #*#*#*

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Two things - a freeze as I know it is supposed to stop people from getting loans (credit) in your name - not get your information illegally. You have to go to all 4 credit reporting agencies or you've done nothing. Sadly you have to pay money to all four even though you never agreed for them to collect the data in the first place. Isn't that a nice business model?

Second, don't trust the Equifax website on whether your information was hacked or not. The first run through basically said nobody was hacked if you looked up your individual name. The second run through said you might have been hacked regardless of the information entered and I don't know about now. Basically, don't trust Equifax regardless of what they say.

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I was wrong on a credit freeze. It's a block so that NEW credit issuing companies can't look up your credit report - which in theory would prevent them from issuing new credit / loans.

It doesn't prevent your current lenders (credit card companies) from searching and is doesn't prevent a criminal from looking up your information.

It's a one time fee (supposedly) to put this freeze into place. If you move a lot or carry a credit card balance / refinance your debt often - it might be a pain but still worth it.

 

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On 9/9/2017 at 2:32 PM, cbslee said:

According to the Equifax website, neither my wife or I had our information exposed. Yea !

The feature on the website that tells you whether or not your information may have been part of the hack can't be trusted.  Making up a last name and putting in 6 random digits for the end of the SSN returns a random response... at least that was my experience over the weekend. 

Other people have reported that they have checked their own information multiple times, only to get different answers each time.  I think it's safe to say that the website isn't returning results based on actual data.  I guess that explains why they suggest you proceed as if your information has been compromised, no matter what the results of that query are--I expect they have no idea who has been affected.

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