Are You Affected by the T-Mobile Data Breach? 4 Ways to Protect Yourself If You're Exposed

Are you part of the 48 million users who had their data exposed in the T-Mobile data breach this August 2021? Aside from the two years of free identity protection services that the company has provided, there are four strategies you can do to secure your account immediately.

T-Mobile Data Breach August 2021 Confirmed

The company claimed that only 48 million data of current, former and prospective customers got exposed in the T-Mobile August breach. They said that data accessed during the hack were:

• Customers first and last names
• Date of birth
• Social Security Number (SSN)
• Driver's license
• Other ID information

The company could not determine if hackers also gained access to customer financial information, like their credit card, debit card and other payment details.

For reference, the hacker who accessed the T-Mobile database reportedly stole 100 million user data, twice more than the telecommunications company reported.

Regardless of who is telling the truth, there was enough data stolen for malicious actors to steal your identity. Now, if you think you are exposed, you must immediately secure your accounts to prevent the hacker from stealing more from you.

4 Ways to Protect Yourself If Your T-Mobile Data Got Exposed

MarketWatch listed some helpful suggestions you can do if your personal data got exposed in the T-Mobile data breach.

4. Freeze Your Credit Account

Since hackers might have accessed your payment details, they would likely aim to steal your money next. People using credit cards need to watch out for malicious actors who would open new loans under the victim's name.

It is recommended that you freeze your credit immediately. This should stop lenders from seeing your credit report, making it impossible to create new accounts in your name. Temporarily lift the freeze whenever you aim to apply a new line of credit. Otherwise, keep it frozen and use this as an extra level of bank protection.

3.Constantly Check Credit Reports and Bank Statements

Also, be mindful of your bank activities. Make it a new habit to continually check on your bank statements. Watch out for suspicious transactions you never remembered committing.

Using the annualcreditreport.com website, you can request a free copy of your credit report every week. This online tool should make monitoring various bank account a lot easier for you.

2. Inspect Any Strange or Unexpected Bills

Aside from the bank accounts, malicious actors might also exploit your name in other types of scams. With ID forgery, they might apply for health insurance claims or other financial programs.

The credit freeze strategy won't stop this type of problem. Instead, it is recommended that you keep any weird bills or mails during the transactions. Afterward, contact the program or provider directly and explain that you never filed these claims. This should help stop the situation from escalating.

1. Always be Careful

Whether or not you are a victim of the T-Mobile data leak, you should be extra careful of your identity. Try to maintain good security habits like changing passwords regularly and not using public Wi-Fi for sensitive business transactions. Also, avoid giving your personal information to suspicious calls and emails.

These are simple but very effective strategies that should help secure your account even if you had your data exposed.