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Oh, Goodie! Another Day, Another Identity Crisis: Check if Your SSN's Been Compromised!

Oh brilliant, just what I've always wanted! Another DIY project. Because hunting for fraudulent activity on my credit report is exactly how I planned to spend my weekend. Thanks, capitalist society!

Published August 26, 2024 at 9:58am by Marley Malenfant

Oh, For Fork's Sake: Another Massive Data Breach! 😑

Buckle up, folks! The hacking group USDoD has allegedly gone and done it, swiping billions of personal records—including Social Security numbers—affecting millions of individuals. Because, you know, 2024 wasn't dystopian enough already. 🙃

The class-action lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and reported by Bloomberg Law, claims the breach happened around April 2024. USDoD apparently bragged about nabbing data from 2.9 billion people from National Public Data. Yes, you read that right—billion. 🔥

Ways to Spot Signs of Fraud (Because Capitalism)

Feeling paranoid about potential identity theft? Well, join the club! You can review your credit reports for any shady activity. Here’s how to get your free annual credit report from the following lovely corporations:

Why Bother with a Free Credit Report? 🤔

Fraud Detection: Spot identity theft or fraud before your life turns into a real-life episode of Mr. Robot.
Credit Score Monitoring: Keep tabs on your credit score and understand why it’s tanking (or climbing, if you’re lucky).
Error Correction: Correct those sneaky errors and inaccuracies that somehow always appear.
Financial Planning: Make informed decisions about loans, credit cards, and other delightful forms of debt.
Loan and Credit Approval: Keep your credit history squeaky clean to get approved for loans with less soul-crushing terms.
Debt Management: Get a comprehensive view of your outstanding debts and manage them responsibly (or cry about them, whichever works for you).
Awareness of Credit Usage: Know how much credit you’re using and if you’re about to hit your limits—aka the point of no return.

By taking advantage of the free annual credit report, you can stay informed about your financial health and take proactive steps to protect and improve it. Yay, adulting! 🎉

How to Freeze Your Credit (Because Everyone’s Out to Get You)

If you think your identity has been compromised, slap a credit freeze on that bad boy. It’s a preventive measure to safeguard your financial well-being. Here’s how:

1. Equifax

Online: Equifax Credit Freeze page
By Phone: Call Equifax at 1-800-685-1111.
By Mail: Send a request to Equifax, P.O. Box 105788, Atlanta, GA 30348. Include your name, address, Social Security number, and copies of ID documents.

2. Experian

Online: Experian Credit Freeze page
By Phone: Call Experian at 1-888-397-3742.
By Mail: Send a request to Experian Security Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013. Include your name, address, Social Security number, and proof of identity.

3. TransUnion

Online: TransUnion Credit Freeze page
By Phone: Call TransUnion at 1-888-909-8872.
By Mail: Send a request to TransUnion, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094. Include your name, address, Social Security number, and proof of identity.

Look, you need your SSN to do basic adult stuff like opening a bank account or renting an apartment. But NEVER give it to anyone you don’t trust. According to the Texas attorney general's office, fraud can happen if you share personal info over the phone, mail, or internet unless you have a trusted relationship with the requestor.

Scammers can open credit accounts in your name and cause all sorts of havoc. Stay woke, folks. ✊🏽

-USA Today contributed to this report, because who even knows anymore-