Surprise! Equifax Hack Affected Millions More Than Previously Reported
This is a security breach that never ends. Reuters reports that a massive Equifax data breach last year affected 2.5 million more people than previously reported, bringing the total to 147.9 million.
The company told Reuters that their names and driver’s license information had been stolen from the latest victims of the hacker attacks, “but noted that less information was obtained because they did not include home addresses, driver’s license statuses, dates of issue or expiration dates.” Well, isn’t that a relief!
Reuters also says Equifax will notify affected consumers directly and offer them free identity theft and credit monitoring services.
If you don’t trust Equifax (which you shouldn’t), you should take additional steps to protect yourself. First, check your credit report! A recent report from CreditCards.com found that half of the US adult population has not checked their credit rating or report since the hack. Please do it.
And remember, this hack has long-term consequences. From now on, you will need to actively check your credit reports, bank accounts and investments for fraud, and you should be careful with your tax return this tax season. Even if you don’t think you’ve been hurt, keeping your financial accounts secure should be your top priority in the digital age. Try to schedule your financial accounts to be checked once a month or every couple of months so that you can spot any suspicious activity as early as possible.