The Anthem hack discovered last week adds to massive data breaches at JPMorgan, Sony Pictures, Target and Home Depot in the past 18 months. Here’s what you can do if you’re worried about ID theft.
• Notify the credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) and request a 90-day credit alert. (Each reporting agency is supposed to notify the others, but you may want to contact all three yourself.)
• You might consider asking the reporting agencies to place a full freeze on your credit. This blocks any business from checking your credit to open a new account. But weigh it against the hassle of notifying credit agencies to lift the freeze, which can take time.
• Check credit-card bills closely for any irregularities. Crooks sometimes charge smaller amounts, usually under $10, to see if you notice.
• Get a free credit report once a year from at least one of the major reporting agencies at . Ignore services that charge a fee. If you order from each agency once a year, you could effectively check your history every four months.
• Some experts say there’s not much to be gained from a paid credit monitoring service — but it can’t hurt to sign up for any monitoring a hacked business offers free. These services will tell you if a new account is opened in your name, but they won’t prevent it, and many don’t check for things like bogus cellphone accounts, fraudulent applications for government benefits or claims for medical benefits. Some do offer limited insurance or help from a staffer trained to work with credit issuers and reporting agencies.
• Keep copies of all reports and correspondence regarding any credit disputes or ID theft that occurs. Use certified mail to get delivery receipts. Keep notes on every phone call.
• After a hack, scammers may try to use the stolen data to trick you into giving up more personal information. They can use that info to steal money in your accounts or open new credit card. So: Don’t click on any links from e-mails. If you get letters that say you won something and should call a phone number, don’t. It’s a ploy.
• Hang up if you get a call asking for account numbers or other information. Delete such texts; don’t click on their links.
