In a statement on its website, the CA DMV says it was alerted to the possible violation by the law enforcement authorities. He has since opened a full investigation that includes "conduct a forensic examination of its systems and seeking information regarding potential violations of both the external provider that processes transactions VDD credit card and credit card companies themselves. " The government agency said if it finds evidence of an offense, it will inform all affected customers DMV.
How can I protect myself?
Given that the violation has not been confirmed by the DMV, the steps described below are preventive. That said, it is in your favor to follow the steps below to ensure that your identity and financial information remains secure if the offense is confirmed.
1. Monitor bank statements and credit card: As there is a chance that your information was exposed in a possible violation, you'll want to make sure that you spend by the bank statement associated with the credit or debit card you used to pay the DMV. Make sure there are no unusual transactions, and if you find any, so be sure to report them to your bank as possible fraud. A representative of the customer service of your bank will be able to help you through the process of reporting fraud.
2. Take action quickly: If you notice an unfamiliar activity, it is essential that you call your bank immediately to take action because the wait could put your identity and financial information in danger. It is also important to note that you must report any unknown transaction, even if it is $ 1 or less, because sometimes the thieves charge a small amount on a card to "test" if the transaction goes through. Once they confirmed the card still works, they will start using it for heavy expenses.
3. Consider identity theft protection: As an extra precaution, you may want to consider signing up for identity theft protection. These services monitor the activity of your personal information - such as your name, social security number and credit card information or debit card - on the black market on the Internet to verify it is not sold or traded to thieves ID. In addition, these services also monitor your personal information on public folders to ensure that nobody uses your information.
In addition to monitoring of identity, the identity of the best services of protection against theft also offer active surveillance three credit bureau report and even provide all three - Experian, TransUnion and Equifax - during registration and throughout the year. For example, the Guard Identity top-rated offering updated reports and three bureau credit notes every quarter and TrustedID offers monthly updates to your reports and credit scores Equifax above reports and notes three annual credit bureaus. And the best part is that these two services offer a free trial that allows you to test the service before making a financial commitment.
Visit our Reviews identity theft protection to see which service best fits your needs, and to learn other ways to protect your identity on our blog daily protection against identity theft.