I received an alert from my credit card company. That happens often and it's normally for an offer, but this was much darker than that, These alerts said that my Social Security Number was found on the Dark Web four times, including some of my former addresses.
Why does that matter? Because criminals can use that information to open accounts in my name and destroy my credit and financial life. And apparently I'm not alone.
When I asked KCBI Producer Josh if he had ever checked his credit, he said no but then logged on to Creditwise and found dozens of his phone numbers, addresses and emails on the Dark Web.
There was a major data breach where hackers claimed the stolen files include 2.7 billion records, with each listing a person's full name, address, date of birth, Social Security number and phone number, Bleeping Computer said. While it's unclear how many people that includes, it's likely "that everyone with a Social Security number was impacted," said Cliff Steinhauer, director of information security and engagement at The National Cybersecurity Alliance, a nonprofit that promotes online safety.
So there's a chance that you, or someone you know was also hacked. You can read more of the story here.
Here are some the free credit monitoring services: Credit Karma CreditWise and others.
If you find you're information has been compromised, you can freeze your credit with Experian Equifax and TransUnion.