Capital One

[ossiblue]

Originally Posted by JackDidley

I am wondering what I need to do now. Freeze my credit. PITA. Maybe get a new SS number. I'd bet that is easier said than done. I buy everything with my cards. And mostly Capital One, they offer the most cash back.

IMO, freeze your credit. Don't know your situation, but it is now much easier to freeze and unfreeze your credit due to the breaches. Your biggest risk is someone establishing new credit under your ID, and that will effectively be prevented with a freeze. Illegal transactions with existing credit cards will be covered by the companies. Don't forget, credit reports are also commonly used to rent houses/apartments and purchase large ticket items. A freeze will limit those type activities to, hopefully, zero.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by ossiblue

IMO, freeze your credit. Don't know your situation, but it is now much easier to freeze and unfreeze your credit due to the breaches. Your biggest risk is someone establishing new credit under your ID, and that will effectively be prevented with a freeze. Illegal transactions with existing credit cards will be covered by the companies. Don't forget, credit reports are also commonly used to rent houses/apartments and purchase large ticket items. A freeze will limit those type activities to, hopefully, zero.

^^^ froze mine about 15 years ago....just do it!

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by widebody911

OTOH, in my field some of the most brilliant developers and systems guys I've known were in pretty bad shape with regards to basic social skills.

The absolute worst communicators were communications systems guys

Leave me alone... GRRR......FUATHYRIO

[Por_sha911]

If you didn't freeze your credit when Equifax was hacked then you are playing a risking game of hope and maybe. IIRC, the laws have be changed so that you can no longer be charged to freeze or unfreeze but I can't say for sure.

As far as the hackers status, the observation was not germaine to this discussion about the hack but, should be noted that the media has an agenda. That discussion will send the thread strait to Hel... um, PARF.

[MBAtarga]

I froze my credit at all 3 bureaus earlier today and the wife did hers just now. Since freezing/unfreezing is free now, I don't see any excuses not to do it. I plan to hit up Equifax for my $125 - do the same for the wife as well.

[JackDidley]

Must be time for a freeze. Will get on that tomorrow.

[Deschodt]

I was going to object to the "hacker"label on principle... I've seen how crap security can be in big organizations, and most of the data thefts are barely worthy of the label hacking ;-( These companies must be punished for being so lax and for screwing us over like that. I'm in healthcare now and encryption requirements are crazy. Apparently banks are not as zealous ?!

the irony is I was not even going to take part of the equifax settlement because I thought it might have been phishing and/or another chance to give them more data to "lose" !