NBC12 News, Weather Sports, Traffic, and Programming Guide for Richmond, VA | Letters warning potential fraud victims set to go out
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Posted by Terry Alexander - email
RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) - It may still be a hoax, but a state agency is acting like the threat is real. More than 500 thousand people will be informed that their social security number could be in the hands of someone who hacked a prescription data base.
Those letters from the Department of Health Professions started going out Wednesday morning.
If you are worried that you could be among those at risk, there are steps you can take right now to protect your identity.
It is just a warning, but when it comes to your identity, ignoring it is not worth the risk.
"It is one of the most prevalent crimes in America," said David Clemenston from the Virginia Attorney General's Office.
Over the next few days more than 500 thousand people will be warned that their social security numbers could be in the hands of a criminal who hacked into a prescription database leaving them vulnerable to any number of crimes.
Essentially they can pretend they are you, in any online transaction," said Matt Yanovictch.
Yanovictch is an attorney who specializes in identity theft. If you receive a letter he recommends taking three important steps.
First - Contact a credit reporting agency and have a fraud alert attached to your file.
Second - Notify your doctor or pharmacist to warn them that someone may be attempting to take advantage of your account.
Third - Protect your social security number, like not carrying it around in your wallet.
According to the Virginia Attorney General's office the threat of identity theft, takes on a higher level of importance when you learn that your information in has become compromised.
"If you fear that you have fallen prey to identity theft, you should contact your financial institution right away," said Clemenston.
A step that could save you quite a bit of money and peace of mind.
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