How important is it to secure your identity after a data breach potentially exposes sensitive information? Gulf Coast Bank & Trust President Guy Williams says it could potentially keep you out of jail.
Williams relayed to WWL's Newell Normand how one instance of identity theft led to the victim being arrested.
"We had a banker, at our bank, and his wife's account got hacked," said Williams. "Someone stole her identity. They opened up fake credit cards, they opened other bank accounts elsewhere, started writing a ton of bad checks, started running up credit card bills.
"The wife went to a store on the Northshore, wrote a check...the check showed up as a bogus check with a horrible overdraft balance, the police were called, and she was arrested," said Williams.
Williams said freezing credit with the three credit reporting bureaus would prevent anyone but you from opening new accounts or taking out loans. And unfreezing it so you can apply for new credit or a loan is a simple matter.
"You go online, unfreeze your credit, let them run the report, then refreeze it," said Williams.
To freeze your credit, contact each of the three major credits bureaus, by phone or online:
Equifax: (800) 349-9960
Experian: (888) 397‑3742
TransUnion: (888) 909-8872
