You might be the type of person who only checks their credit report once a year. Or maybe you’re diligent about your financial health and check your credit once a week. Either way, it’s important to understand the impact of your credit score.
Having an awareness of the way your credit is changing can have a significant impact on all aspects of your life. From opening a bank account to buying a home, your credit can either be your best friend or your worst enemy.
What Was the Equifax Data Breach?
In 2017, almost 150 million Americans were exposed to being victimized by cybercriminals. This happened thanks to the Equifax data breach, which exposed the Social Security numbers, addresses, birth dates, and driver’s license numbers of consumers. The credit card numbers of over 200,000 Equifax customers were also left vulnerable in this attack.
This breach in digital security is why it’s of absolute importance to be vigilant in fighting for your credit file health. Identity theft is a difficult and often very expensive problem to overcome, so taking steps early on to protect yourself is paramount. A fraud alert or security freeze from top identity protection companies is an excellent first step in thwarting the efforts of those who want to take your credit out for a ride.
Can You Trust the Credit Bureaus?
Most people trust the credit bureaus to keep the information in their files up-to-date and protected. But what happens when they fail? If your most personal identifying information is exposed to hackers with less-than-honorable intentions, how do you stop them from using it to destroy everything you’ve worked so hard for?
As in the instance of the recent Equifax data breach, you’ll likely be notified by the credit bureau or your credit monitoring service if your information compromised. When this happens, it is imperative to immediately start reviewing all of your accounts (bank, credit cards, etc.) for any signs of fraud.
But what if you’re worried that you were a part of the Equifax hack and want to do something about it? You could simply check your credit report each year or you could take serious action and do an Equifax hack check for yourself.
How to Use the Equifax Hack Checker
You can navigate over to the Equifax Hack Checker and do your due diligence to make sure your private data hasn’t been compromised. It only requires you to enter your last name and the last six digits of your Social Security number.
If your information was in fact impacted, clicking the “What Can I Do?” button will take you to a page of options that you can consider. These include placing a fraud alert or a security freeze on your credit report to keep hackers from being able to open new credit in your name.
Protect Your Good Name and Credit Score
You can maintain outstanding financial health even in the face of a credit hack. At FindReviews.com, we strongly encourage you to consider investing in an identity protection service to keep your personal info secure. And we’ve made it easy to find the best identity protection available with our in-depth reviews!