Equifax Says Cyberattack May Have Affected 143 Million Customers
Equifax, one of the three major consumer credit reporting agencies, said on Thursday
that hackers had gained access to company data that potentially compromised sensitive information for 143 million American consumers, including Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers.
If identity thieves wanted to hit one place to grab all the data needed to do the most
damage, they would go straight to one of the three major credit reporting agencies.
“Confronting cybersecurity risks is a daily fight.”
Using the data stolen from Equifax, identity thieves can impersonate people with lenders, creditors
and service providers, who rely on personal identity information from Equifax to make financial decisions regarding potential customers.
Equifax is offering consumers the ability to freeze their Equifax credit reports, said John Ulzheimer, a consumer credit expert who often does expert witness work for banks
and credit unions and worked at Equifax in the 1990s.
The company also suggests getting a free copy of your credit report from the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
