PHOENIX — Scam or not a scam? That's what Let ABC15 viewer 'Karen' wants to know.
She writes, "My husband and I both received 4-page letters from this company saying how our personal information was leaked or hacked."
Karen states she wasn't familiar with the company and asks, "how do I find out about this issue?"
Karen is right to be cautious. Data breaches are, unfortunately, becoming more common as technology is further engrained into our daily lives. Scammers know this and are jumping aboard, sending out phony data breach notifications.
In Karen's case, the letter in question was sent from LoanDepot. We looked into it and found the letter and data breach are legitimate. The company filed its official notice with the SEC.
Karen may not have done business with LoanDepot directly, but the company receives consumer information from third parties when that consumer shops for a mortgage. Millions of consumers were reportedly impacted by this data breach.
In Arizona, the Attorney General's Office requires companies and organizations to notify the state within 45 days of a breach being discovered if it involves more than 1,000 Arizona residents.
When you receive a data breach notification letter, verifying the legitimacy rests largely on the consumer.
The best way is to contact the business in question. Don't use the contact information given on the notification, instead go to the company's legitimate website or use official contact you may have from previous business.
After verification comes protection!
- Act immediately to change your passwords. You can also add a layer of protection by setting up two-factor authentication.
- Alert your bank or financial institution to establish possible fraud monitoring. If necessary, your bank can cancel your current card and issue you a new number.
- Monitor your credit. Consumers can get a free credit report through AnnualCreditReport.com. The report will show any new accounts opened in your name. Consumers can also receive a free report from each of the three credit agencies once a year.
- Freeze your credit. Placing a security freeze on your credit reports blocks anyone but you from opening a new account in your name. It stops fraud before it happens and is free to do.
The Federal Trade Commission offers a step-by-step guide on what to do if your information is exposed on their website.
