How to protect yourself after Equifax breach

PHOENIX — There’s a 50-50 chance your information was included in the 143 million compromised by the Equifax breach, and people need to protect themselves.

The stolen data includes social security numbers, birthdates, addresses and other basic pieces of information that every American uses throughout their lifetime to prove who they are.

“It’s basically out there, there’s no putting the toothpaste back in the tube,” said Ken Colburn with Valley-based Data Doctors.

People should already be checking their bank statements and monitoring their credit daily.

“If you don’t have a process for checking your credit on a regular basis, you should look into that,” he said.

There are a number of services that do that for a small fee or there are some ad-based services that can monitor your credit as well.

Additionally, people can take steps to protect themselves by utilizing services that are available at all three credit bureaus, TransUnion, Experian and of course, Equifax. You’ll need to follow these steps at all three.

“The credit bureaus will also allow you create fraud alerts,” he said. “Basically you’ll get a notification anytime from them, suggesting that something has changed on your credit.”

Keep in mind these are things that can be done after a breach or identity theft has occurred, but there are some things you can do for prevention.

“If you’re not in a situation where you’re going to applying for credit, not applying for a new job,” Colburn said, “You’re not doing anything that requires a third-party to access your credit file, placing a freeze on your credit essentially makes it impossible for any new credit to be established.”

The downside is consumers would have to place that freeze at all three credit bureaus at a cost of $5 to $10 each.

“So only the companies that you currently have credit with will have access to your file,” Colburn said. “These companies all start by checking your credit. As soon as they see a freeze, they’re going to know that can’t go any further.”

Then users would have to pay all three credit bureaus again to unfreeze their credit as soon as they need their credit again.

The process requires a special pin number and if you lose it, you will be locked out of your own credit and it’s really hard to get back in, Colburn said.

But the biggest thing that no one is really talking about, Colburn said, is that social security numbers, date of births and addresses are exactly the type of information needed to file a tax return.

“My advice to everyone out there is to create a reminder right now in the early part of January to get your tax return filed as quickly as you can,” he said. “Because if you file before the fraudsters, you’re in the clear.”

“But if they file before you, you’re in for a lot of work.”

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