Capital One announced on July 30, 2019 that they suffered a data breach which exposed 106 million customers information in the United States and Canada. The breach occurred on March 22 and 23 of this year, with the hacker stealing the information of customers that applied for a credit card between 2005 and 2019. The FBI has arrested the hacker.
If you're concerned about possible identify theft, here are some steps to help protect you:
- Get your free credit reports from annualcreditreport.com. Check for any accounts or charges you don't recognize.
- Consider placing a credit freeze. A credit freeze makes it harder for someone to open a new account in your name.
- If you place a credit freeze, be ready to take a few extra steps the next time you apply for a new credit card or cell phone, or any service that requires a credit check.
- If you decide not to place a credit freeze, at least consider placing a fraud alert.
Don't believe anyone who calls and says you will be arrested unless you immediately pay back taxes or a debt--even if they have part or all of your Social Security number, or they say they're from the IRS.
Continue to check your credit reports at annualcreditreport.com. You can order a free report from each of the three credit reporting companies once a year.
