The folks at the Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) know just about everything about us. Age, height, weight (well, depending on how honest you were at your last renewal), and some very personal data like your social security number and address.
That’s why the Louisiana OMV data breach due to a cyber attack is a big deal for everyone in the state. Equipped with the information above, anyone can use your identity to open credit cards or, even worse, gain access to your online accounts that use that information.
Identity theft when you are buying a house can bring your dreams of home ownership crashing down until you are able to straighten things out, which can take a significant amount of time.
Steps to take to safeguard your identity
Freeze your credit reports
Freezing them keeps the data thieves from opening new accounts or borrowing money in your name. It does not prevent you from using your existing credit cards or bank accounts.
It’s easy to do online and you can request a copy of your credit report from each of the bureaus while you are registering online.
Experian 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com/freeze
Equifax 1-800-685-1111 www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/
TransUnion 1-888-909-8872 www.transunion.com/credit-freeze
Protect your IRS data
No one wants a thief to access their tax refund or to use their information to file a false return (hello, huge headache!). You can get an Identity Protection Pin from the IRS by signing up here: https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identity-protection-pin or call them at 1-800-829-1040.
Change all of your passwords
We recommend considering allowing your internet browser to help you set and save passwords that are super secure. The Louisiana OMV data breach is not the only way that hackers and scammers can try to access your accounts, so make it as hard as possible for them to do so.
Report identity theft
If you think that your identity has been stolen, contact the FTC at 1-877-FTC-HELP or visit www.ReportFraud.FTC.gov.
More tips on protecting your identity can be found at www.IdentityTheft.gov.
