LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Attorney General Dana Nessel is urging any Michigan residents who use Capital One to take extra precautions in guarding sensitive data following a large data breach, according to an official press release.
Capital One says that about 100 million individuals in the U.S. were affected by the breach. It is currently unknown how many of those individuals reside in Michigan.
Leaked information includes names, addresses, credit scores, and dates of birth. The company says that while no credit card numbers or login keys were leaked, “140,000 social security numbers and 80,000 linked bank account numbers of its customers were compromised.”
“This data breach is yet another example of how fragile our information infrastructure is, and how vulnerable all of us are to cyber hacking,” Nessel said in the press release. “And here in Michigan, we continue to rely on media reports that alert us to these terrible situations because – unlike most other states – we have no law on the books that requires that our office be notified when a breach occurs. I am determined to get information quickly and accurately to take more proactive measures to protect our residents.”
Nessel also provided a list of response tips in the press release.
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Find out what information was compromised and act accordingly.
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Pull your free credit report at annualcreditreport.com or by calling 877-322-8228.
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Put a fraud alert on your credit file. The Federal Trade Commission provides a checklist for this.
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Consider a security freeze on your credit file.
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Be alert to unsolicited calls or emails appearing to be from Capital One. Hang up, do not reply, and instead call the number on your card. “Phishing” scams—calls, emails, or text messages that appear to offer protection—may actually be trying to get more data from customers.
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Take advantage of any free services being offered as a result of the breach. In this case, free credit monitoring and identity protection will be made available for everyone affected.
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Use two-factor authentication on your online accounts whenever it’s available.
The FBI has arrested the suspect they believe is responsible for the breach. It is believed that the suspect attempted to sell the data online.
