Security Breach and I was Sold!

[cab83_750]

Got a letter for Countrywide Home Loans stating that my name, SS#, loan info, etc. were illegally sold to a 3rd party by an (ex)employee.

Basically, they gave me a 2-year membership to a credit reporting bureau and I am supposed to monitor my credit for the next 24 months for identify theft, new accounts, illegal transactions online and on my credit card statements, etc. WTF!!!!!

I am p!ssed!

This theft is in the newspaper today. A few people filed suit already, and they are attempting to reclassify the suit into a 'class action suit.'

Should I be concerned that my SS# (plus other confidential information) is floating around out there in digital form?

Anyone else?

[bell]

i'd be absolutely concerned, especially if you have very good credit.......
start taking all the precautions you can to cover yourself just in case, as credit bureaus will be more willing to work with you if it was "expected", my wife did a "scorewatch" with one of the bureaus when something fishy was going on and it alerted her to any changes with her credit immediately.

[rick-l]

Happened to me twice. You would think those Bozos from payroll would know better than to carry employee records around unencrypted on a high dollar laptop and then leave it sit on the front seat of the car.

The company pays to send me a credit report every month.

[cab83_750]

Originally Posted by bell

i'd be absolutely concerned, especially if you have very good credit.......
start taking all the precautions you can to cover yourself just in case, as credit bureaus will be more willing to work with you if it was "expected", my wife did a "scorewatch" with one of the bureaus when something fishy was going on and it alerted her to any changes with her credit immediately.

My credit is not very good. I have known, and confirmed, via the free-credit reporting, that my credit is 'excellent.'

I have placed a 'fraud alert' via Equifax. I guess all you have to do is report to one, and they advise the other 2.

[vash]

wow. anyone have a link to the newspaper article? my credit is stellar. thanks for bringing this up CAB. i will call them manana.

[cab83_750]

Vash,

It was in L.A. Times today.

I used the freebie monitoring they offered; I have nothing to lose. In the meantime, I am closely monitoring Countrywide (AKA Bank of America) for the outcome of this *****.


I received my notice 2 days ago. I almost threw it away thinking that it was a junk mail. It looks like they have the whole week to mail all millions of affected customers. I suspect that the higher-FICO score customers were the ones sold/compromised.

[rick-l]

Originally Posted by cab83_750

My credit is not very good. I have known, and confirmed, via the free-credit reporting, that my credit is 'excellent.'

If Equifax said your credit was excellent that is what your credit rating is.

[cab83_750]

Rick,

That was a mistype. Yeah, been told years ago that with my score, I could walk into a dealership and walk away with $100K-car, and no-questions-asked!

I was also warned that I should be super careful with this credit score as I belong to the 'desirable group' for ID-theft. Of course, now this crap happens!

[Jim727]

I think you should be very concerned. Check with the major credit reporting (i.e., privacy violating) services and have them lock down your credit. It can be done.