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MSE News: Massive Equifax data breach - what you need to know

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  • RHP485
    RHP485 Posts: 14 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary First Post
    I received a letter today advising me that I am one of the unluck people whose basic identity details have been stolen from Equifax. I have been given 3 or 4 services I can sign up to for free to protect my future identity. I have a reference number on my letter to use and they gave me a free number to ring, 08005871584, seven days a week from 8:00am to 8pm. I have tried this number 5 times today and it did not ring out and I received the dead tone to suggest it does not exist. I then obtained a customer care number where the recorded message advises you to press number 1 if you are having problems contacting the number in my letter. This then cuts you off. I tried the other selection that also cuts you off. I am not sure if anyone else is having this problem and I wonder if Equifax has gone out of business leaving people like myself with no kind of help or redress for what has happened?
  • Doc_N
    Doc_N Posts: 8,380 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Hundreds of thousands of these letters going out - obviously a load more today too.

    I'd certainly be interested to hear from Martin Lewis (who's presumably aware of theads like this even if he has little to do with MSE now) too.

    This requires some form of concerted action, and Lewis is the man to do it.

    Some clear advice on the best course of action (bearing in mind the options offered by Equifax) would also be helpful to those affected, bearing in mind that they've leaked all of these:

    Names
    Addresses
    Dates of birth,
    Usernames and passwords,
    Secret questions and answers
    Eight digits of all credit card numbers


    What more could a fraudster want? It must be like Christmas for them.
  • RHP485 wrote: »
    I received a letter today advising me that I am one of the unluck people whose basic identity details have been stolen from Equifax. I have been given 3 or 4 services I can sign up to for free to protect my future identity. I have a reference number on my letter to use and they gave me a free number to ring, 08005871584, seven days a week from 8:00am to 8pm. I have tried this number 5 times today and it did not ring out and I received the dead tone to suggest it does not exist. I then obtained a customer care number where the recorded message advises you to press number 1 if you are having problems contacting the number in my letter. This then cuts you off. I tried the other selection that also cuts you off. I am not sure if anyone else is having this problem and I wonder if Equifax has gone out of business leaving people like myself with no kind of help or redress for what has happened?

    The number I had was the same, first time engaged second time I got through, though to be honest it was of no use, very difficult to understand the accent. And just reading from a script.
  • Doc N stop scaremongering.
    All that was lost of UK subscribers was
    Name
    DoB
    Address
  • roubiliac wrote: »
    Doc N stop scaremongering.
    All that was lost of UK subscribers was
    Name
    DoB
    Address

    Mine was:
    Name
    DoB
    tel number

    To be fair exactly what can be done with this info, apart from nuisance calls?
  • Mine was:
    Name
    DoB
    tel number

    To be fair exactly what can be done with this info, apart from nuisance calls?

    In 2007, a well-known major high street bank needed my DoB to "authenticate" me when I visited the branch.

    I think they also wanted to see my bank card, but neither of these are "secrets".
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  • PixelPound
    PixelPound Posts: 3,015 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    We are not in 2007 anymore I doubt any bank would be as lapse.

    What I want to know is are these "free" services really free? Do you need to provide credit card details to sign up to them so that you will be charged once the free period expires?
  • nic_c wrote: »
    We are not in 2007 anymore I doubt any bank would be as lapse.

    Doesn't mean no one could use that data for social engineering attacks.
    Goals
    Save £12k in 2017 #016 (£4212.06 / £10k) (42.12%)
    Save £12k in 2016 #041 (£4558.28 / £6k) (75.97%)
    Save £12k in 2014 #192 (£4115.62 / £5k) (82.3%)
  • Doc_N
    Doc_N Posts: 8,380 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    roubiliac wrote: »
    Doc N stop scaremongering.
    All that was lost of UK subscribers was
    Name
    DoB
    Address

    This is NOT scaremongering. That is taken from actual Equifax letters.
  • meer53
    meer53 Posts: 10,217 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I got a letter today too. Called the number, got a foreign call centre. Was advised to register with Equifax to get 2 years free Equifax Protect. Wasn't asked for any card or bank details so will register when i have time.
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