Authorities are warning thousands of Georgia residents that you could be at risk of identity theft.
It seems a worker at the Georgia Department of Labor accidentally emailed the personal information of almost five thousand unemployed residents.
It went out to about a thousand people.
Identity theft is one of the most common crimes out there.
Last year there were more than 12 Million identity theft cases in the US causing more than $21 Billion in fraud.
http://liarcatchers.com/identity_theft_investigation.html
Attorney Billy Norse has worked with identity theft victims.
He says putting your life back together after your identity has been stolen can be a nightmare.
But, he says, if you know your information might be compromised, there are steps you can take to protect yourself.
Norse says, “The bad news about it is that the information’s out there, but its not the end of the world. You can take steps to protect yourself. The big thing is that you don’t want to get ripped off now that your information is out there.”
Here are the ways Norse says you can lower your risk:
-Call one of the major credit bureaus:
-Equifax, 1-800-525-6285
-Experian, 1-888-397-3742
-TransUnion, 1-800-680-7298
-Ask for a fraud alert, anyone using your social security number will have to prove they are you before credit is issued
-It’s free & renewable
-Keep track of government and credit card employees you speak with
-Check bank & credit card statements often
-Consider changing your passwords
-File a police report
As to that Department of Labor error, the agency says social security numbers and other pertinent information for nearly 5000 unemployed Georgia residents went out to about 1000 people.
Those impacted were mainly in Cobb and Cherokee Counties.
The agency says they have all been notified and they will receive a free year of credit monitoring.
