Last week, hackers hit Anthem, the nation's second-largest health insurance company. As many as 80 million customers had their account information stolen. The pilfered data includes names, birth dates, medical IDs, Social Security numbers, street addresses, email addresses and employment information.
If you’re worried about your personal information ending up in the wrong hands, the FTC has a helpful reminder. A credit freeze, also known as a security freeze, lets you limit access to your credit report, which makes it more difficult for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name.
Our Credit Freeze FAQs can help you decide whether a credit freeze is right for you. One thing to remember: A credit freeze doesn’t prevent a thief from making charges to your existing accounts. Even if you elect a credit freeze you still need to monitor your existing credit card and bank accounts for charges you don’t recognize. If you decide you don’t want to get a credit freeze, you can still place a fraud alert. It lasts 90 days — you can renew it — and makes it tougher for thieves to open new accounts.
It’s also a good idea to review your credit report periodically. Federal law allows you to get a free copy every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus. Visit annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228. Accounts on your credit report that you don’t recognize could indicate identity theft.
Anthem has established a website where members can access information about its data breach. In addition, the FTC can help you learn more about securing your privacy and identity.
