CONSUMERS BEWARE: 3 Billion Social Security Numbers Hacked!

An estimated 2.9 billion individuals have had their personal information stolen and compromised, including Social Security Numbers and mailing addresses.

Earlier in August 2024, a lawsuit was filed by a California resident, Christopher Hoffman, that stated a cybercriminal group posted a database on the dark web and was up for sale for $3.5 million. Hoffman was notified about this breach when his identity protection service notified him that his information was compromised by a company called National Public Data. National Public Data is a Florida-based credit and background check company.

This data breach comes as the Social Security Administration recently implemented a more secure login requirement for its website, requiring anyone who created an online account with the SSA website prior to September 18, 2021 to move their account to a Login.gov or ID.me account.

Here are a few things you can do to help protect your identity and confidential information:

Sign up for an identity monitoring service, such as LifeLock or IDShield
Download and check your credit reports with the three major credit bureaus—EquiFax, Experian and TransUnion
Consider putting a “credit freeze” (or “security freeze”) on your credit, which prevents new accounts from being opened in your name—a free service that doesn’t impact your credit score. You can place, temporarily lift, and remove a freeze at any time and it’s absolutely free!

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