Yahoo data breach may impact Hoosiers

A recent data breach at Yahoo may have put Hoosiers at risk for fraud. Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller is reminding anyone who may have been impacted in the recent Yahoo data breach to take immediate steps to guard against identity theft. The Office of the Indiana Attorney General warns consumers that certain data may have been compromised such as names, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, passwords, as well as security questions and answers.

It is likely you, or someone you know, uses Yahoo’s email services. Emails are often sent and received with personal or sensitive information. Protect your banking information, home or work addresses, and social security numbers by following the tips below.

1. Change your Yahoo password;
2. If the password you use on other accounts is the same or similar, change it too;
3. Review other accounts for suspicious activity;
4. Do not click on suspicious links or download unsolicited files;
5. Do not provide personal information over the phone to individuals claiming to be from Yahoo;
6. Check your credit report and bank accounts; and
7. Consider placing a security freeze on your credit reports.

If fraud is detected, contact your bank or credit card company immediately to resolve the issue and close your cards. You should also place fraud alerts on your credits reports by contacting one of the three credit agencies: TransUnion, Experian or Equifax.

The Office of the Indiana Attorney General is looking into this matter. If Indiana residents have in fact been impacted in the breach, the Office will investigate to determine whether Hoosiers were properly notified of the incident, and if Yahoo had appropriate safeguards in place to protect consumers’ data.

For questions about identity theft, contact the Attorney General’s Office at 800-382-5516 or file a complaint online at www.IndianaConsumer.com

More information on the data breach can be found here. For more tips on guarding against identity theft and other cybercrimes, visit www.IndianaConsumer.com/idtheft.