Is this reported data breach of concern to me?
Asked by
Jeruba (
56022
)
2 hours ago
A notice came in the mail addressed to my late husband. He’s been gone 3½ years. The notice says his personal information has been exposed to data theft.
Some of our joint accounts remain in my name. Should I be concerned that those entire accounts have been compromised? The notice was addressed only to him.
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6 Answers
I would call the non-emergency police line, in office hours, for assistance. Just in case it’s a scamer contacting you.
Who did it come from, or if you’re not comfortable saying, then what kind of company was it? One of the 3 credit bureaus, a data collection company, the company that allegedly had the data breach, etc?
I wouldn’t worry, but I’m not an expert on these things. Watch your bills.
I do recommend freezing your credit with all three credit bureaus so no one can open accounts in your name. It’s free. Your husband’s SS# is already frozen by the government.
Keep in mind that now there are laws that require companies to notify you – those laws are relatively recent.
So you get these messages with pretty much zero information, and they scare the hell out of you.
Bottom line: if those accounts are still open (you have possibly closed the since your husband died), then log in and check to see if the numbers make sense. Change your passwords. And as a general rule, keep an eye on your credit reports.
While it is good that you are informed, the companies are trying to cover their own asses, and as such, sound alarmist.
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