Personal Info Exposed? Take these steps.

June 19, 2020

With the recent announcement from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services that certain applicants' personal information may have been exposed, it's important to understand how to protect your personal information. 
 

• Check your credit report. Monitoring your credit report can help you identify signs of potential identity theft. Visit www.annualcreditreport.com to access those reports. Due to COVID, you can check your credit report for free on a weekly basis. 
• Place an initial fraud alert on your credit report. Contact one of the three major credit reporting agencies — Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion — to place an initial fraud alert, which will stay on your credit report for 90 days. The alert is free and will make it more difficult for someone to open credit in your name. 
• Consider placing a security freeze on your credit report. A security freeze essentially puts a lock on your credit so that most third parties can’t access your report. This helps protect you from unauthorized accounts being opened in your name. In Ohio, security freezes free to place and are permanent until you lift them. Contact each credit reporting agency separately to place a freeze. 
• Beware of scams related to the breach. Con artists may pretend to have information about the breach, or they may falsely claim to want to help you. Some calls or messages may be scams designed to steal your money or personal information. Don’t give out personal information to those who contact you unexpectedly (even if they say they want to help you) and be wary about clicking on links or downloading attachments in messages.
• Monitor your bank accounts. Look for suspicious activity. If you find errors, immediately notify your bank or credit provider.
• File your taxes ASAP.  File your taxes as soon as you have all of the information necessary to file so there is less of a chance for someone to fraudulently file on your behalf.  This is especially important if you know your information has been compromised.

Signs of possible identity theft may include:

• Unexpected mail about accounts you did not open.
• Credit card charges you never made.
• Unexpected collection calls.
• Another person’s name showing up in your background check or credit report.
• Credit reporting errors or a lower-than-expected credit score.

Victims of identity theft should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at 800-282-0515 or www.OhioProtects.org. Please note that the Ohio Attorney General recommends checking your credit reports first, and then contacting the Ohio Attorney General’s Office only if your information appears to have been misused.