If you shop at national companies such as Home Depot, Target, or Ebay, you may have been the victim of a data breach in the past several years. With an increasing risk of customer data infiltration, many consumers have had to navigate the tricky route to re-establishing their finances. At Peoples Bank & Trust, we want show you the simple steps to help get you back on track once your personal information has been in jeopardy.
- Check the affected account.
Asses the damages, if any, to your credit or debit card. If any transactions aren’t in line with your spending, alert your bank or financial institution immediately to counteract any false usage. The sooner you communicate any false usage, the easier it is to get it removed.
- Cancel the card and request a replacement.
Once a financial institution is made aware of a store breach they will typically alert any affected customers. However, to err on the side of safety, always call your bank or credit lender to ensure that you will be receiving a new card.
- Pull your credit report.
Once you have put out any fires on your affected credit or debit card, you can pull your full credit report to determine if any additional financial information was affected. Your credit report will reveal how many inquiries have been made, in addition to any outstanding payments that may be affecting your score. If something is not accurate with your report, contact each three credit bureau’s to report the fraud. Then file a police report, and call the designated creditors to alert them as well.
- Update recurring payments with new information.
Between utility bills, cell phone plans, and online subscriptions, there are plenty of accounts that will need your new card information. Once you receive your new credit or debit card be sure to update any recurring expenses.
accounts that will need your new card information. Once you receive your new credit or debit card be sure to update any recurring expenses.
- Continually monitor your accounts.
Keep tabs on your affected and non-affected accounts to be certain nothing else was tampered with during the breach. If you see something out of place, alert your bank or financial institution immediately.
No matter your financial state, Peoples Bank & Trust is here to help you succeed. If you want to learn how you can personally protect your personal finances, check out our blog!