OFF TOPIC PSA

National Public Data and similar companies perform background checks by searching publicly available data sources. Their social security number source is surely the entity that contracted with them for the check and provides the social. That in turn was provided with permission because that person has applied for a job and in doing so provided their SSN and permission for a background check.

 

@RIX TUX What's "jickey"? Is that like "janky" , couldn't find a slang reference?

 

Here is a better site to check if your data is in the breach. All this site asks for is First Name, Last Name, State and Birth Year. Your neighbor next door might know all 4 things or be able to figure out your birth year. Say your neighbor knows you are 24 years old. Pretty easy to figure your birth year is 2000, 1999 or 2001.

https://npd.pentester.com/

I don’t like putting my full SS number in anywhere I don’t have to.

 

still F them.

 

my slang is not published but it means it dont look right

 

Help me with information, as I have not used this but it seems targeted at stupid people and seems very hinky.

I see commercials for "Rocket Money" ... accesses your bank account and credit cards (I assume) to look for "repeating subscriptions" to tell you where you are wasting money. First ... you can do that just reading your bank/card statements. Second ... does it REALLY have read access to your statements for anyone who hacks Rocket-Money to read?

 

sounds jickey

 

I understood it. No ... I will not even make slight snide remarks but will just say I understood it.

 

Shouldn't the company responsible for compromising your information be on the hook for paying for your credit monitoring. Even Vermont gave us "free" Experian credit monitoring, I believe for two years in each instance.
Still frustrating after practicing safe data protection for decades. My father used to tell me my social security number is for government purposes. Not the cell phone company or anyone else who didn't have a direct need to know.

 

another little tidbit: it is not just the 2nd tier info providers that get compromised. Experian did a while ago. Nothing is safe. Use all available tools to make yourself less vulnerable than the next guy.

 

I did some looking around before entering info on that site. It seems to be legit. But what an easy hack -- someone left a zip file with accounts and passwords in it used to access the backend database. That is ridiculous.

But, apparently many companies have crap IT departments and I get notifications of new breaches on a monthly basis.

I actually pay for American Express to monitor things. They send you quarterly credit reports and will occasionally call and let you know that your info was found on the dark web. Yeah, I know, it's been there forever. I also pay (what used to be) Lifelock to keep a freeze with the credit bureaus and monitor things, but American Express seems to be more on-the-ball.

 

When was this? The 1890s? The Middle Ages? Not anymore, young grasshopper.

 

lol. decades ago i wanted to rent a VCR tape from a small rental store. The cow behind the counter wanted my social sec num. i walked out without tape.

 

@RIX TUX hinky + janky = jinky
I stand corrected! Will add to the vocabulary database.

 

Yeah, they still couldn’t protect the data.

A while back I subscribed to a site that notifies me any time there’s a breach that includes some of my personal data. I’ve probably had at least ten such instances not to mention ones that get reported directly from the hacked company in a notification letter.

So assume all your personal data is out there because no one can protect it, and take the necessary steps to protect yourself.

 

and if a company does get hacked they won't tell anyone until they are forced to

 

Pushing six decades millennial! Maybe 1890 or so. Definitely the 90's. Can't remember whether it was 1800's or 1900's.

 

Hmm thanks for the advice!
Logged onto experian to lock it and they want me to upgrade my membership for $24.99 a month. Is there any free way to lock it?

 

That's the problem! God forbid they do the right thing.

 

It used to cost about $10 to freeze credit but it became so common and necessary that a law was passed that they all had to do it for free.
i actually paid once and it was refunded after the law passed.
if you are being charged, you are looking in the wrong place.
and the credit bureaus are not immune to smarmy misdirection. they are for profit businesses.