Credit-rating agency Equifax has announced its computer systems were hacked from mid-May to late July and that personal data on as many as 143 million American consumers was compromised, including names, Social Security numbers, birth dates and addresses. CEO Richard F. Smith said in a press release that the data breach “strikes at the heart […]

We often talk about cyber security as a way to prevent other people from accessing your personal information, but what can you do if the worst actually happens? That’s what David Lazarus had to find out after someone used his social security number. Lazarus, who writes the Consumer Confidential column for the LA Times (and […]

The number of victims of identity fraud is higher than at any point in more than a decade. That’s despite new security measures, including those new credit card chips. The number of cases rose 16 percent to nearly 15.5 million consumers, according to a report by Javelin Research and Strategy. Weren’t those chips supposed to […]

Millions of customers will be able to opt in.

Universal identifiers like Social Security numbers are a big target for hackers.

The growth of computerized records has led to a higher rate of stolen information.

The company admits fault and will offer victims significant compensation.

A flood of phony TurboTax filings is raising concerns of identity theft tax fraud.