Table of Contents
A reported 2.9 billion records were taken in the massive National Public Data breach last December. You can check to see if your Social Security number has been stolen and take steps to protect your information if your personal information has been breached. Here’s how.
According to an August statement from National public data — a data broker that sells personal information to private investigators, public consumer registration sites, and employment and staffing agencies — “a malicious third party” hacked the data and leaked the stolen information onto the dark web. National Public Data obtained the information by scraping non-public sources without permission, according to a proposed class action lawsuit.
Here are steps you can take to see if your information has been stolen, and then how to protect your Social Security number if your personal information was leaked in the massive data hack. For more information, here are the best identity theft protection services and how to freeze your credit . For more on Social Security, here’s when to expect your Social Security check this month and four ways you could lose your Social Security benefits.
How was my personal information stolen in the National Public Data Protection Authority data breach?
According to a statement from National Public Data this month: “It is believed the incident involved a malicious third party attempting to compromise data in late December 2023, with potential leaks of some data in April 2024 and summer 2024.”
The theft — reportedly by a cybercriminal group called USDoD – could be as large as nearly 3 billion people’s personal records and could include your name, email address, phone number, social security number, and mailing address.
The exact number of people whose data was stolen is not yet known. Office of the Maine Attorney General estimates the number at 1.3 million, reportedly based on conversations with the data broker. Troy hunt by Have I been hacked? estimates that the stolen files contain 134 million unique email addresses.
How to Check if Your Social Security Number Was Stolen in the National Public Data Hack
Two online security companies have set up websites that let you check for free whether your social security number is among the stolen cache of personal information: one of them is https://www.npdbreach.com/ from the online privacy company Atlas Privacy; the second is https://npd.pentester.com/ by cybersecurity company Pentester.
Both lookup tools are easy to use and search for different pieces of information in the stash. Both showed that my personal information was stolen in the hack after searching the different states I have lived in.
What is National Public Data doing to address data theft?
In a statement about the security breach, the company said it is cooperating with law enforcement and government investigators and is conducting a review of the potentially affected data. For those whose data was compromised, the company said it “will attempt to notify you if there are any further significant developments that apply to you” and advises you to closely monitor your financial accounts for unauthorized activity.
How do I know if my citizen service number has been leaked?
While you can’t stop the theft, you can monitor your credit reports and financial accounts for unexpected activity, such as if your Social Security number and other personal information are being used.
Check if your stolen data has been leaked: To get started, check out a free site like Have I been hacked? to see if your email address has been leaked as part of a data breach.
Keep an eye on your credit reports: To detect identity fraud, Request one free credit report per year from each of the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian And TransUnion — and watch for unfamiliar activity, such as a new account you didn’t open. Also, keep an eye on your credit card and bank statements for unexpected charges and payments.
Sign up for a credit monitoring service. A credit monitoring service can constantly monitor your credit report with the major credit bureaus and alert you when unusual activity is detected. With a monitoring service, you can set up fraud alerts that will warn you if someone tries to use your identity to create credit, including someone trying to use your Social Security number. Here are the best identity theft protection services.
I think my Social Security number has been stolen. What should I do?
First, if you think your Social Security number has been stolen, know that there’s not much the Social Security Administration can do on its own if someone uses your stolen information to, say, open a line of credit or get a job. Here’s what you can do.
Go to the Federal Trade Commission IdentityTheft.gov and fill out a form to receive a personalized recovery plan. This plan will guide you through everything you need to know about protecting yourself from fraud and recovering your identity. You can also call 877-438-4337.
Contact the Internal Revenue Service if your Social Security number has been stolen to prevent the thief from using your number to file a tax return and get your tax refund or to prevent them from using your number to get a job. If a thief uses your Social Security number to get a job, taxes owed could appear on your record. Visit the IRS’s Identity Theft Central to dispute these claims, get help, and resolve any issues.
File a complaint online with the Complaints Center for Internet Crimethat monitors cybercrime complaints to combat internet crime. It is also advisable to check your credit report every now and then to detect suspicious behavior as it happens. Visit www.jaarlijkscreditreport.com to get a free credit report.
Contact the Social Security Administration If you think your Social Security Number has been compromised, the administration can help you check your statements.
Do I need a new citizen service number?
If you have completed all the steps recommended by the Social Security Administration and your Social Security number is no longer being used by anyone other than you, you do not need to apply for a new SSN. If you have completed all the necessary steps and still find that your number is being used, you can request a new one.
But the administration doesn’t make it easy to get a new SSN. You need proof that your number is still being used by someone other than you. The administration said If you have lost your card or think someone has stolen your number, but you have no proof that someone else has used your card, you cannot receive a new card.
What can I do in the future to prevent identity fraud?
Sometimes, like with the National Public Data breach, there is little you can do to keep your information safe. But you can take steps to reduce your risk.
Don’t carry your Social Security card in your wallet. Instead, keep it in a safe place in your home. Try to memorize your number so you don’t have to pull out your card every time you fill out a document that requires it. If you have to give your number over the phone, make sure you’re far away from other people who might hear you.
Employers and landlords often ask for documents to be sent electronically via email. If you need to provide your social security number or other personal documents via email, try encrypting the document with a password or providing your number separately in a phone call.
Your employer will need your Social Security number to conduct a background check. But you should be skeptical of any job posting that requires you to enter personal information at the beginning of an application. Unless you’re starting a new position and have an offer in hand, you shouldn’t give your Social Security number to a recruiter.
Finally, check your bank and credit statements regularly to address any issues as soon as possible. Enable two-factor authentication on your passwords to protect your private information on websites and apps. And check the source of your notifications, whether they’re phone calls or emails. The Social Security Administration said in general, it will only call you if you have requested a callIf you think you have received a scam call or email, do not give the person any personal information.
What other ways could my personal information be stolen?
Theft happens everywhere and at all times. People steal wallets and purses or search through the mail looking for personal bank or credit card information. The Social Security Administration warns that people who rummage through trash outside homes or businesses looking for important information is another way to commit identity theft, along with people who buy personal information from insider sources. There is also the risk of receiving phone calls, texts or emails from seemingly official sources who are actually fraudsters trying to trick you into divulging information.
If CNET’s Bree Fowler explainedCyberattacks occur when hackers use online accounts with username and password combinations that have often been stolen in previous data breaches to break into as many accounts as possible. This strategy is reason enough to protect your passwords and use passwords whenever possible.
