In a recent shocking revelation, Bloomberg Law reported in early August that the ultra-sensitive as well as personal information of about 3 billion individuals was leaked during an April 2024 data breach.
This breach, which was carried out by a cybercrime group that is recognized as “USDoD,” exposed this vast database that is owned by the National Public Data, which is primarily a background check company. Furthermore, it has been detected that this database, which is now available on the dark web, contains some personal information, which includes:
1. Social Security numbers
2. Address
3. Full names
4. Details about relatives
With this level of highly compromised personalized information, you must take quick action if you suspect that your information has been compromised. Read more about the seven steps that you should follow to protect yourself, as well as mitigate any potential personal damages with your information being linked to them.
Seven practical steps to safeguard your database from potential damage
1. You should visit IdentityTheft.gov to repost and recover
If you suspect that your personal information has been compromised, then your first step is to visit IdentityTheft.gov. This website, which is managed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), will allow you to report identity theft as well as receive a personalized recovery plan. You will file a report, and you will also provide official documentation of the data breach; this is also vital in resolving any case in the future.
2. You will need to file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
After you have visited IdentityTheft.gov, you must file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The IC3 is recognized as a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) as well as the National White Collar Crime Center (NWC3). This program is specially designed to handle internet-related criminal activities. When you are filing a complaint, it is best to ensure that your case is properly documented and investigated by the right authorities. This is one way to help bring your personal data suspicion to a close.
3. Notify the major credit bureaus.
Are you wondering what you should do after you have reported the breach in your data? The next step you should take is to notify the three major credit bureaus, which include Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Notifying these organizations about your personal data breach can help in the identification of these data thieves from opening new accounts in your name. For safety measures, it will be wise to place a credit freeze or fraud alert on your credit report.
Wondering what a credit freeze and fraud alert is? A credit freeze is a restriction of access to your credit alert, while a fraud alert, on the other hand, gives warnings to creditors to take a little more precaution when they are verifying your identity.
4. Add a credit freeze or fraud alert.
When you place a credit freeze or fraud alert, automatically your credit report can be a very important step in safeguarding your financial information. Furthermore, a credit freeze also halts lenders from assessing your credit reports without your consent, which makes it more difficult for these data-based thieves to open new accounts.
We also have a fraud alert; this scheme notified potential creditors to verify your identity before they grant you credit. It is best to note that both options are all free. It can be easily activated by reaching out to any of the major credit bureaus around you.
5. Maintain a regular check on your credit report.
After filing for credit freeze and credit fraud, ensure to keep a closer eye on any unusual activity. One keynote is that you can get free credit updates from each of the major credit bureaus, which come once a year, at annualcreditreport.com. Once you have obtained this report, spend time reviewing it. Review for unauthorized accounts, inquiries, or any suspicious activities that may not be usual. If you find anything out of the blue, then immediately take this evidence to the right authorities.
6. You should be ready to file a police report.
The next big step to take if you have discovered that your identity has been stolen is to file a police report and get the police involved with all the evidence you have gathered.
Another reason the police can also serve as additional documentary support in the case of creditors, banks, and other institutions is that it gives you an advantage in such a situation. Don’t forget to keep a copy of the filed police report, just in case of unforeseen eventuality.
7. You should also contact the IRS.
do not forget to also reach out to the IRS; this is to ensure that no thieves are using your social security number to file fraudulent tax returns. Ensure to visit Identity Theft Central to get more information.
Do you know that the IRS can help you ensure that your tax information is protected as well as ensuring your tax refunds are not stolen? Yes, they can, and once it has to do with fraud, you will need all the help you can get.
The best way to check if you have been affected
If you are having unrest and your information may have been compromised, ease your unrest by visiting npd.pentester.com and have a good look.
You can simply enter your name, state, and birth year to confirm if your data was also exposed.
This will provide you with the assurance of your database’s safety, and you can do the same for your family. Secure, protect, and safeguard your personal information so that it won’t be used against you.
