Equifax hack

tenchy
tenchy Posts: 486 Forumite
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in Credit file & ratings
Oh dear. What's going on here - see Telegraph article on front page. One of the world' biggest hacks.


Can we really trust our data with these companies?
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  • Nebulous2
    Nebulous2 Posts: 5,101 Forumite
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    Do you have an option?
  • sourcrates
    sourcrates Posts: 28,825 Ambassador
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    Nebulous2 wrote: »
    Do you have an option?

    Unfortunately not no !!
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Debt free wannabe, Credit file and ratings, and Bankruptcy and living with it boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.For free non-judgemental debt advice, contact either Stepchange, National Debtline, or CitizensAdviceBureaux.Link to SOA Calculator- https://www.stoozing.com/soa.php The "provit letter" is here-https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2607247/letter-when-you-know-nothing-about-about-the-debt-aka-prove-it-letter
  • nic_c
    nic_c Posts: 2,928 Forumite
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    Another reason not to pay a subscription to get your credit report, as credit card details could have been stolen - the report seems unclear what was accessed and stolen.

    What needs to be asked, is are credit card details taken for the security check when you sign up for clearscore kept or disposed after the check is complete?
  • RG2015
    RG2015 Posts: 5,896 Forumite
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    nic_c wrote: »
    Another reason not to pay a subscription to get your credit report, as credit card details could have been stolen - the report seems unclear what was accessed and stolen.

    What needs to be asked, is are credit card details taken for the security check when you sign up for clearscore kept or disposed after the check is complete?
    Good question and also do banks disclose account details to the CRAs?
  • inflationbuster
    inflationbuster Posts: 250 Forumite
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    edited 9 September 2017 at 7:35PM
    No easy way to delete the user ID that i've had for years...

    I've been told on the phone l can't delete my userID/password which contains my home address/email etc and have to create a support account first!!!

    !!!!!!
  • tomhass
    tomhass Posts: 2 Newbie
    OK - my 2 pence worth on Equifux cockup (hack):

    1. Regardless of whether you are a paying Equifax customer or not, they hold information about you on behalf of the credit world (banks and so on). By being a customer you just open a little bit of a windows on to that information. So if you cancel your Equifax subscription it might not help...although you may choose to do so if you no longer trust them.

    2. Equifax's response has been shockingly poor and slow. If you go to their main website there is NOTHING to indicate a problem or even a link to a problem page.

    3. In the USA, they at least created a new website (as normal one nor working/overloaded) to allow users to type in information like Social Security number to check if they have been hacked. This appear though to be a smoke screen as a few in the USA "tested" the system and put in random names and numbers and each type it advised "You may have been affected....".

    4. Equifax have provided no such checker (even though it appears useless) for non USA (e.g. UK) customer - a call to US customer support last night resulted in a (paraphrased) - "sod you mate, we are too busy looking after our American customers and we cannot be arsd to provide anything for UK"

    American customers have been criticising Equifax as their checker tries to get them sign up for a TrustID - to be fair it is 1 Year free when it is normally chargeable....but some are saying they have shamelessly used the incident as a marketing campaign.....after 1 year they will have a whole new bunch of people signed up (and paying) for TrustID because they forgot.
    Their Marketing Director is either a tw*t or a genius....customer retention will tell that tale !

    5. Equifax's UK support line were inconsistent (paraphrased)
    EQ: "We have no evidence any UK customer data was compromised or used maliciously"
    ME: "So how come media report saying 44 million UK customer might be affected"
    EQ: "Well you might have been affected"
    ME: "So which iit ?!!"
    EQ: "It is too early to be specific"
    ME: "OK, never mind that for now, it also appears your website login is not working - what is going on ? - I cannot even check that no new (malicious) credit arrangements have been made"
    EQ: "I was not aware our website had problems...maybe try another browser"
    ME: But I have tried both different browsers, 2 x 100Mb broadband connection and 4G connection - so I think it is not a problem at my end"
    EQ: "I will report the problem internally"
    ME: "Ok - so I beginning to understand no weekend IT support staff it seems - or you are deliberately keeping logins disabled for security until you are sure of breach details - which is okay, I understand but just tell me so I do not waste my time trying....and please put some notice on the home page ! It seems you have very poor Business Continuity and Crisis Management processes"
    EQ: "We will note your comments"

    All in all VERY unsatisfactory. I will be voting with my feet. Hello anyone else...maybe Experian, we will see.
  • DigForVictory
    DigForVictory Posts: 11,905 Forumite
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    tenchy wrote: »
    Can we really trust our data with these companies?

    Not really, but there aren't many other games in town that aren't as potentially vulnerable.

    As soon as we walk into the internet we walk into risk, the fun is trying to manage that.
  • cjv
    cjv Posts: 513 Forumite
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    Would having a Clearscore account add any further chance of information being stolen? I think I had to give my card details when I signed up to them, but am not 100% sure.
  • Sledgehead
    Sledgehead Posts: 131 Forumite
    edited 11 September 2017 at 4:46PM
    This thread tells you all you need to know about Britain.

    A paltry 10 posts about an issue that could affect everyone of us in a devastating manner.

    Meanwhile the threads on getting your credit score improved, show a nerd-like thirst for knowledge that would put Trekkies to shame.

    As somebody who has no desire to spend beyond my ways and means, I struggle to understand why I need to waste hours researching this field, just because some stupid credit reference agency, that incidentally purports to be an expert in data breaches (well, it sure is now!) couldn't be bothered to employ somebody with more tech ability than sales spiel.

    But who cares what savers like me think? This is after all a site devoted to money SPENDING, despite what is written on the tin.

    And of course there is not a mention of it on the home page. Instead I can tell MSE whether or not I've had a tummy tuck. So presumably plastic surgery affects more people than this hack? 44m boob jobs? Wow! Remind me to leave the country before they all rock up at A&E in 20 years for the inevitable corrective surgery.

    And yes, I am very angry.
  • RG2015
    RG2015 Posts: 5,896 Forumite
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    Sledgehead wrote: »
    This thread tells you all you need to know about Britain.

    A paltry 10 posts about an issue that could affect everyone of us in a devastating manner.
    Some of the ten posts are good and extremely comprehensive. Not sure that there is much more to be said other than some more angry rants.

    Peace and long life! As a trekkie might say.
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