Public Data Breach / Check for your SS# here

If we start seeing coherent posts from either cardfan or rmcalhoun, we’ll know those accounts have been breached

It's pretty easy to freeze the reports. But you have to contact all three CR agencies, so it's a small hassle

I have accounts at all 3 set up, and I advise almost everyone to put a fraud alert on all 3. That adds one more step if you apply for credit, a lender won't open a new account with that one more step of calling you before opening an account. It's easier, almost as good as a freeze.

The freeze alternative means when you want new credit it requires your taking steps BEFORE making an application to unfreeze for the specific lender you deal with. Should do that if you know your SS# is out there. Much safer on that count. More fool proof. The lender can't verify your credit. Won't go forward, no chance for phone fraud sim stealing.

But a fraud alert is much less hassle. They contact you to verify you're applying... Good idea even if no breach yet exposing your SS#.

The problem will always be out there for somebody who has weak passwords and no 2 factor authentication set up. The bad guy can social engineer access to existing accounts using the SS# and other hacked info in this breach.

I recommend password managers and authenticator apps like DUO Mobile or the others, but the truth is we're all more vulnerable.

A lot of the fraud now is just people clicking on links and doing themselves in. And I'm sure there will be more threats we haven't seen. Scary.

Same tech may make authenticator apps with real time communication and encryption good enough.

But passwords have to be changed to constantly changing tokens some way.

Would be a real shame if some hacker used the rmcalhoun account.  He might break Rob's perfect streak of 21,072 consecutive posts without saying anything intelligent.