Were You Affected by the Capital One Hack? Here’s What You Should Do

By John Breaux | July 31, 2019

Capital One announced that their systems were hacked, exposing the personal information of more than 100 million customers. The banks say the hack took place in March when software engineer, Paige Thompson, exploited a security vulnerability giving her unfettered access to its systems. 

The company said that approximately 140,000 Social Security numbers were leaked, along with 1 million Canadian Social Insurance numbers and 80,000 bank account numbers. While the bank has ensured that there is no reason to believe this information fell into the hands of other parties, it is best to ensure your personal data is safe. Here are some steps you can take to safeguard your personal information.

Take advantage of free services 

Capital One stated they will notify everyone who was affected by the security breach. All affected customers will be given free credit monitoring and identity protection services, so be sure to take advantage of this. 

Review your accounts 

Now is the time to review your credit card and banking statements to check for any suspicious activity. If you see anything out of the ordinary, report it to Capital One as soon as possible to freeze your card and prevent any further fraudulent purchases. In addition, you should change your passwords on all accounts to avoid any further risk. 

Freeze your credit 

Freezing your credit will mean no one will be able to access your credit report without your explicit permission. If someone tries to use any leaked information to open a new line of credit or take out a loan, the banks will be unable to review your report and no authorizations will be made. This can be done through the three main credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. 

Be aware of scams 

During massive bank breaches, scammers will be on the move preying for unsuspecting victims. Do not respond to any calls or emails from creditors asking you to verify your information, and never give out any personal data. If you are unsure if any call you receive is a scam, hang up and call the bank using the phone number found on the official website.