Equifax Hack In Pennsylvania: How To Protect Yourself In Aftermath Of Massive Breach

Authorities in Pennsylvania are investigating the Equifax hack that resulted in the potential exposure of the financial and personal information of 143 million Americans, and offered steps to take for local consumers to protect themselves.

It is unclear how many Pennsylvania consumers were impacted, said Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who opened an investigation into the breach. Along with the attorneys general of Connecticut and Illinois, Shapiro is leading the multi-state investigation.

Shapiro said the hack of Equifax, one of the nation's three major credit reporting agencies, was discovered in July. Hackers accessed names, Social Security numbers, birthdates, addresses, and in some instances, driver's license numbers and credit card numbers.

Watch: Massive Data Breach At Equifax Leaves 143M At Risk

“This is a massive data breach of the personal and financial information of millions of Americans,” Shapiro said. “Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Consumer Protection is fully investigating this matter, including the months-long delay for Equifax to notify consumers, and we will take every step necessary to hold them accountable for compromising Pennsylvanians’ personal information.”

Here are some recommended steps Pennsylvanians should take to find out if their data was compromised and how to protect themselves if that's the case:

• To check whether your information was compromised, you can go to this website set up by Equifax.
• Shapiro is encouraging Pennsylvanians to sign up for credit file monitoring and identity theft protection. Equifax is providing free service for one year through TrustedID Premier. To enroll, go to www.equifaxsecurity2017.com and click on the “Check Potential Impact” tab. You must submit your last name and last six digits of your Social Security number. Consumers will receive a date when they can return to the site and sign up for the service. Consumers can also obtain a free credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com.
• Consider placing a credit freeze on your files. It will not prevent a thief from using any of your existing accounts, but a credit freeze makes it harder for someone to open a new account in your name.
• Monitor your existing credit card and bank accounts closely for unauthorized charges. Call the credit card company or bank immediately about any charges you do not recognize.
• Since Social Security numbers were affected, there is risk of tax fraud. Tax identity theft happens when someone uses your Social Security number to get a tax refund or a job. Consider filing your taxes early, and pay close attention to correspondence from the IRS.