I initially reported to you in 2014  that  the federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM) was hacked by Chinese hackers who stole personal information of  what was initially thought to be the personal information of about four million present and former federal employees as well as non-employees whose information was gathered by the OPM during the course of background investigations of federal employees.  At that time, the OPM offered free credit restoration services and credit monitoring to the victims.  Then in 2015,  the OPM discovered a much larger data breach affecting approximately twenty-two million people and again offered free credit restoration services and credit monitoring services for a period of ten years.

Now people who enrolled in the free coverage when first offered are receiving notices that their free credit monitoring services will be terminating in September and Senators Mark Warner and Eleanor Holmes Norton have introduced legislation which, if passed will extend the identity protection services for the lifetimes of those affected by the data breach.  According to Warner, “We have a responsibility to stand by the federal workers who were put at risk through no fault of their own.  This legislation will ensure those affected continue to receive the identity protection they need, while helping better safeguard personal information from future exploitation.”

TIPS

I will keep you informed as to the progress of this proposed legislation.

It is important to remember, however,  that no identity theft protection company can prevent you from becoming a victim of identity theft.  The best they can do is notify you earlier that you have become a victim.   None of the identity theft protection companies help you with the one best step you can take to protect yourself from identity theft which is to put a credit freeze on your credit report.  With a credit freeze on your credit report, even if someone has your personal information including your Social Security number, they cannot access your credit report for purposes of gaining credit or loans in your name.  You can find information about how to put a credit freeze on your credit reports at each of the three major credit reporting agencies by going to the “Search for Scams” section of Scamicide and putting in the words “credit freeze.”

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