Protecting yourself from Identity Theft

OK, so PlayStation Network was hacked.  

Here is the information they ‘possibly’ took:

Name 

Address (city, state, zip)

Country

 Email address

Date of birth

PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login,

 PSN online ID.

Your profile data (which includes)

 Purchase history

Billing address (city, state, zip),

 Your PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers

 Your credit card data through PlayStation Network or Qriocity,

Your your credit card number (excluding security code)

Your credit card expiration date

What should you do?

Tell your friends and family who aren’t as well connected, and inform them of the PSN hack. We all have friends who aren’t in the gaming loop.   They need know.

Check your credit card (debit card) statements, even if you didn’t have on one your profile.  They have your previous purchase history.  Therefore, if you used a credit card to purchase something, they will likely have that information.  Check your billing statements weekly.  There is a 60 period where you can report fraud and have it removed from your bill.

Change your security question.  You should never have the same security question for multiple accounts.   The hackers have your email address, and you don’t want them to have access to your email as well.

Change your passwords. You should always have different passwords for different accounts, but if you don’t, you’ll need to change them ASAP. You’ll want something entirely different. DO NOT JUST ADD 1234 at the end and call it ‘good enough.’

You can get a new credit/debit card. This is relatively painless if you have a debit card, but if you want to cancel your credit card it will hurt your credit history.   You also need to remember to change your automatic payments, and any debt you may have occurred on the cards, because if you bounce a payment, you will still be held reliable and your credit will be hurt.

This is a lot of leg work, and PlayStation won’t do it for you. Remember it’s your money, and your life.

So what will happen?

Hopefully nothing.  However, you may receive emails from PlayStation, your bank, and other institutions, which you may be familiar.  They’ll likely have a link in the email, and some statement that you account having some issue.  DO NOT CLICK THE LINK.   They may send mail to your address of record fallacious financial intuitions.   Go to the website or call them.  Phishing schemes are dangerous and ID theft is a real possibility. (For more on phishing click here)

Home invasions.  Now that they know you have a PlayStation there is the slight possibility that the information may be used inconjuction with targeting your personal home.  Knowing that you have a PlayStation 3 and high possibly an HDTV makes you a greater target for potential robbers if the hacker sell the information, and they do.  This is even worse if you are a prominent member of your community, politician, games journalist, notable personality etc.  

Remember PlayStation does everything except protect your identity…. And 50% of the other stuff it promised.