National Public Data Confirms Social Security Number Breach
Is it REAL? Just the facts …
We at Tech 4 Life operate from the facts. Here is all we have been able to find so far.
National Public Data is a background check company. They are owned by Jerico Pictures Inc., and they recently released details of the breach after a proposed class action lawsuit alleged 1.3 million (not billion) personal records may have been exposed.
They did file a real report in Maine said James E. Lee, chief operating operating officer at Identity Theft Resource Center, a non-profit organization focused on mitigating risks of identity breaches and theft. “It is entirely possible that it is that low; it’s also entirely possible it’s higher,” Lee said of the number of people affected.
Reports continue to lead facts with “may have” included social security numbers and “might have” been this many folks.
Lee is also quoted as saying “As cyber professionals dig into the breached data; they’re finding that not all of it is accurate and much of the information was already available. The reality is there’s nothing new in this data.”
A cybercriminal organization known as USDoD is allegedly behind the data breach. USDoD initially tried to sell all the data for approximately $3.5 million worth of cryptocurrency on a dark web forum. But nothing has been said to come from that attempt.
What, if anything should we do?
- We ALWAYS recommend putting a freeze on your SSN. On your children’s also (that are under 18).
- Freezing your SSN means that when requested, any automated telephone and electronic access to your Social Security record is blocked. No one, including you, will be able to see or change your personal information on the internet or through our automated telephone service.
- When you freeze your SSN, an account will be created and you will be given an access pin (like your bank). When you want to unfreeze your account, you contact them, give them your pin and tell them how long you want to “Unfreeze” your account. The unfreeze usually takes about an hour and your back in business.
- You will find the phones and address for the major bureaus at the bottom of this page.
- Request Your Free Annual Credit Report from ALL 3 agencies.
- Contact each provider individually. All are required by law to provide you a free credit report every year.
- https://www.annualcreditreport.com/ Claims to be the only one, but there are many.
- Visit the Federal Trade Commission site – https://identifytheft.gov. This is the place to report mis-used SSN’s, hacking / identify theft and get credit reports
- Do NOT put your SSN into a site to find out if you have been hacked!! Most of these sites are looking for ANYONE to gift them with their social security number.
Bottom Line
There has been no sale of data reported, no law enforcement or federal agencies have confirmed this breach as of this writing. If data was stolen (as reported), it hasn’t shown up anywhere. That doesn’t mean that it won’t.
For all of us “regular folks” that means, be safe ALL THE TIME. If it didn’t happen, it certainly can.
If we at Tech 4 Life can help you navigate through security, contact us anytime through our website at https://techfourlife.com or stop into our office at 748 Easy Street, Carefree, AZ 85377 during business hours.
Here are the three major credit providers:
