BBB shares how to protect your information following massive data breach

JACKSON, Tenn. — After a recent data breach, Americans should be more wary of their accounts.

In April of this year, and then again this summer, National Public Data, located in Florida, was hacked.

This company is responsible for background checks. It has been reported that 2.7 billion accounts had information leaked. As well as account information of those that have been deceased for decades.

There are a few things to be wary of when it comes to data breaches.

“A company you might have shopped with or have done business with are potential risks of data breach. Just googling that company along with the tagline data breach. More than likely that company will reach out to you directly if they have been a victim of a data breach,” said Toddnetta Trice, communication specialist for the BBB.

Unfortunately there isn’t much you can do to stop a data breach in your account. But there are ways to make sure you aren’t giving hackers an easy way into your account.

“Now on Facebook it is very common to for shared posts to kind of go viral and they ask questions like ‘What elementary school did you go to?’ and things of that nature. And those are pretty much security questions that scammers can look at if do have a public account,” said Trice.

The three credit bureaus have the tools needed for credit monitoring. Another tool is freezing your credit card account if the card and account is being utilized.

“For a year, for free, you can keep track of what goes on on your credit. If anything happens or if you see anything that’s out of the ordinary go ahead and see what’s going on and they’ll contact you– alert you right away,” said Trice.

However, if you believe you are a victim of this data breach here’s ways to receive help.

“File a police report. Go to your local police department ask them questions on what you should do. As well as talking with the companies that claim you owe them, any type of delinquent accounts, work with them and see what offering they have as well,” said Trice.

Updating and changing passwords to accounts can help limit attacks. As of now, it is unsure of what these scammers have done with the information that was stolen earlier this year.

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