If hackers have your name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number, take the following actions:
1. Freeze Your Credit: Contact all three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) to place a credit freeze, preventing unauthorized accounts from being opened in your name.
- Experian: experian.com(https://www.experian.com), 1-888-397-3742
- Equifax: equifax.com(https://www.equifax.com), 1-800-685-1111
- TransUnion: transunion.com(https://www.transunion.com), 1-800-916-8800
2. Report to FTC: File an identity theft report at IdentityTheft.gov(https://www.IdentityTheft.gov) or call 1-877-438-4338.
3. Contact SSA: Report potential Social Security fraud at the Social Security Administration (SSA) via ssa.gov(https://www.ssa.gov) or 1-800-772-1213.
4. Check Credit Reports: Regularly review your credit reports from all three bureaus for any fraudulent activity.
5. Notify Financial Institutions: Contact banks and credit card companies where you have accounts to alert them of the breach.
6. Consider Identity Theft Protection: Look into services that monitor your personal information for suspicious activity, especially on the dark web. Here are five major credit monitoring companies:
- LifeLock: lifelock.com (https://www.lifelock.com), 1-800-543-3562
- IdentityForce: identityforce.com (https://www.identityforce.com), 1-877-694-3367
- IDShield: idshield.com (https://www.idshield.com), 1-888-494-8519
- PrivacyGuard: privacyguard.com (https://www.privacyguard.com), 1-800-374-8273
- Aura: aura.com (https://www.aura.com), 1-833-552-2123
These services can help monitor for suspicious activity and offer additional protection against identity theft.