Social Security Disability Insurance
Social Security Numbers: In the aftermath of major data breaches at Ticketmaster and AT&T this year, yet another cybercrime has exposed the identities of numerous Americans. Jerico Pictures Inc.’s background check division, National Public Data (NPD), was targeted by two hacks, with the first occurring in April, according to a statement on their website.
The compromised information includes names, Social Security numbers, phone numbers, email addresses, and mailing addresses. However, NPD has not disclosed the number of individuals affected by these security breaches.
The NPD stated, “We reviewed the potentially impacted records in cooperation with law enforcement and government investigators, and we will endeavour to notify you if there are any additional significant developments applicable to you.” “We have also put in place extra security measures to safeguard our systems and stop similar breaches from happening again.”
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According to CNET, A recent case filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida raises the possibility that up to 2.9 billion Americans may be affected. The lawsuit, which is requesting class-action status, claims that in April, the cybercriminal gang USDoD listed the cache of stolen data for $3.5 million on the dark web.
Following many media stories and nearly two weeks of radio silence, NPD has released a public statement regarding the hack. The California resident plaintiff in the aforementioned lawsuit claimed that on July 24, he received a warning from his identity theft protection provider informing him of the NPD breach.
CNET has asked National Public Data and Jerico Pictures Inc. for comment on many occasions, but neither company has replied.
There are more and more instances of data breaches. The Identity Theft Resource Center reports that in the first half of 2024, there were over 1,500 data breaches that affected around 1 billion people. There are actions you can take to protect your personal information if you’re concerned about this most recent data breach.
Recall that your identity won’t be stolen merely because a data breach exposed your information. But if you’re eventually targeted, bad actors will have more detailed profiles on you.
Fortunately, there are lots of things you can do to safeguard your identity.
The first thing you should do if you find out about a data breach is to change the password on the impacted account to prevent any unwanted access. It’s a good idea to update any other accounts you have where you use the same password.
Creating a different password for every online account is a recommended practice. Try using a password manager to secure your passwords if you’re having trouble managing them.
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Be cautious of deliberate attempts by fraudsters to obtain personal information from you through phishing and smishing. Because social media and the internet have so much information about us, fraudsters are more skilled at creating convincing deception schemes to trick unsuspecting victims.
Do not click on weird links in emails or on your phone, as this could cause harmful software to be installed on them.
Also, never give out your Social Security number or bank account information to people you don’t know. If you do that, someone could steal your name or get into your bank accounts without your permission.
If you’re genuinely worried about having your identity stolen, it might be worthwhile to enrol in identity theft protection. Monthly premiums for individual coverage range from $7 to $15. Plans for families are also offered.
Services like Aura, CNET’s #1 choice for protecting against identity theft, check your credit and bank account activity, search the dark web for personal information, and scan for it. The best identity theft protection providers will assist you in regaining your identity and offer insurance to replace any lost money and required costs if your identity is stolen.
To prevent fraudulent activity, the best defence is to freeze your credit with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Every time you wish to apply for a new credit card or auto loan, you will need to unfreeze your credit; nevertheless, we believe the advantages are well worth the inconvenience.
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Keep in mind that this isn’t completely safe because hackers can still get into your present bank and credit accounts. But freezing your credit doesn’t cost anything.
You can still obtain a free credit report every week from each of the three main credit bureaus if you decide not to freeze your credit reports. Keep an eye out for any new accounts you did not open by keeping an eye on your credit profiles.
Stay vigilant by monitoring your credit profiles for any new accounts you did not open.
Consider enrolling in a credit monitoring service that alerts you when a new account is opened in your name.
Additionally, make it a habit to regularly review your bank statements for any unauthorized charges.
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