Social Security Numbers Compromised — What to Do?

⚠️ Another breach, this time billions of records of information including personal information, including Social Security Numbers, for millions. What to do?

⚠️ Your SSN exposed
A massive breach exposed millions of Social Security numbers and personal details. To protect yourself, monitor your credit score, bank accounts, and credit card transactions. Consider locking your credit. Be extra careful with emails, especially those using your personal information. Vigilance is critical.

Chapters
0:00 Social Security Numbers Compromised
1:45 Watch your money
3:30 Watch your email
4:50 An example of how the information can be used
6:40 What to do?

More Ask Leo!

#askleo #breach #SSI

[MikeNovelli]

You should have a credit freeze on at all times. Remove it only when you require. It is not complicated at all. You do have to plan ahead if you need to unlock it, but it's not extremely complicated.

[ctrushfan]

Three things I've done to help protect my SSN...
1-Freeze my credit reports with all three credit bureaus. This will prevent someone from opening a credit card or loan with my SSN.
2-Enable the IP PIN feature on my IRS account. This will prevent someone from submitting a tax return with my SSN.
3-Lock my SSN at e-verify. This helps to prevent someone from getting a job using my SSN.

It's scary out there. We all just need to be vigilant and take the necessary steps to protect ourselves.
I'm also teaching my children about these things and helping them to set-up these safeguards.

[PlantBasedPietro]

Thanks Leo!!!! you made me feel a little more relaxed about the breach!!! :)

[verdedoodleduck]

I bookmark all my financial sites and use the bookmark to respond to email information from the institution (and to verify the information in it is legitimate). If the email refers to something like a bill pay 3rd party, I use the bookmark to the (supposedly) initiating company and try to get to the payment or notification from there - I'll call or chat with official help resources from the known site, if I can't verify the information with any other method.

[adave]

My info has been in every data breach I can remember. T-Mobile, Yahoo, the VA, etc. Luckily for me, all my personal information (email addresses, physical addresses, phone numbers) on those databases are SO out of date and has been mixed up with several distant relatives to the point where it’s all very inaccurate.

[TheMartinac]

The basic problem is how much information we're required to hand over to corporations and the government. The question is when and how much of it will be leaked, not if. Centralization creates honeypots and central points of failure. We're not really free and sovereign if we do not control our data. It's necessary to be protected against both private and state criminals.

[deadselfShema]

Leo, I skipped to the "to do" section due to knew the rest. Maybe you covered to FREEZE one's credit reporting on all 3 agencies. Not lock but freeze. It's free by law. Freeze stops new accounts being made. If one wants to make a new account just unfreeze then remember to refreeze.

[Once_in_a_Lifetime]

Freezing Credit Report does not guarantee anything. Banks don’t have to check Credit Report to open a bank account for anyone!

[markanderson]

Sound and sage advice in scary times. As I always say be alert and pay attention to everything and everyone.

[irene]

Oh yes, my security company informed me my SS number is on the dark web with 2 billion others

[larkc]

Great advice, thank you. It’s so infuriating that we take all kinds of precautions to safeguard our data, and corporations like National Public Data allow these kinds of security breaches to happen.

[bk]

I just found your video. Thanks for doing it. You might also recommend people lock their social security number. It’s done through the E-Verify system and will prevent someone (think illegals) from buying all of your data from a hacker and getting a job using that data. Eventually you’ll have IRS problems you don’t want.

[AngelaAmaryllis]

If the government worked the way it should, they would have systematically reissued everyone a new social.

[doug.s]

I'm now more than skeptical...bordering on feeling paranoid and seek info, not react to requests/emails. Any doubt, contact the real source not from the specific received email but in a different legitimate way: call, email direct to xxxx, request from inside real xxxx web site. etc.

[Windjammer]

Leo… I have a Credit Freeze with the Big Three Credit Bureaus & SS Lock. I use 1Password with long & complicated passwords & notifications when my Debit/Credit cards are used. I’m retired is it possible to “Lock Down” my Medicare Number?

[vinnyfitzgerald]

Why are they storing PI in human readable form on computer files? It should not be allowed.

[gregwessels]

I heard it was easy to freeze and unfreeze your account. Also, do I need to do this at all bureau's or will one suffice. Yes, I could research this myself but that would help the Leo's YT algorithm.

[Jacqueline-lp]

my card was compromised how did this happen

[glennpitts]

How about Everify to lock your Social Security Number?

[EMee-iq]

It's funny that Hackers can access My account, when I've (a Veteran) have been locked out for years because They say My address doesn't match. Hmmm, Yet I vote. So not only don't they send paper statements (like in the past), I have no clue if it really exists anymore.