Data breaches have become an all-too-common feature of life today and they pose a significant threat to all of us because regardless of how careful we are at protecting our personal data, we are only as secure as the companies and governmental agencies that hold our information. Today's data breach involves Ticketmaster which suffered a data breach of which we became aware when the hacking group "ShinyHunters put up for sale on the Dark Web personal information of 560 million Ticketmaster companies a few days ago. The stolen data included names, addresses phone numbers and the last four digits and expiration dates of customers' credit cards. In a new development, a lawsuit seeking class action status on behalf of the victims of the data breach has been filed in California alleging, among other things, that Verizon neglected to take adequate steps to prevent and detect the data breach.
We are starting to see more and more class actions on behalf of victims of data breaches against companies who may be failing to take proper precautions to protect the data of their employees and customers. This should be a wake up call for all companies.
TIPS
As for the victims of this data breach, the first thing they should do is freeze their credit if they have not already done so. Freezing your credit is actually something everyone should do. It is free and easy to do. In addition, it protects you from someone using your identity to obtain loans or make large purchases even if they have your Social Security number. If you have not already done so, put a credit freeze on your credit reports at all of the major credit reporting agencies. Here are links to each of them with instructions about how to get a credit freeze:
Everyone also should monitor their credit reports regularly for indications of identity theft. The three major credit reporting agencies now provide free weekly access to your credit reports so you can monitor your credit reports easily on your own. Here is the only link to use to get your free credit reports.
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action Some scammers have websites that appear to offer "free" credit reports, but if you read the fine print, you often may find that you have signed up for unnecessary services.
Finally, be wary of anyone who calls you asking for personal information in regard to this data breach as that is a favorite tactic of the hackers to lure you into providing personal information that can lead to your becoming a victim of identity theft.
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