Angeion Group data breach: what happened and what to do

What to do if you were in it

1. 1

   Freeze your credit at all three bureaus

   A credit freeze is free and stops lenders from seeing your credit report, which blocks most new accounts in your name. Place it separately at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, as the FTC explains. Do this first if your letter lists a Social Security number or a government ID.

2. 2

   Use the free monitoring if you were offered it

   Angeion offered 12 months of monitoring and recovery services through IDX; the enrollment steps are in your letter. The FTC recommends taking free credit monitoring when a company offers it. Monitoring alerts you to new activity but doesn't block it, so pair it with a freeze.

3. 3

   Replace exposed cards and watch accounts

   If a card or bank account number was listed in your letter, ask your bank or card issuer for a new number and watch statements for charges you don't recognize.

4. 4

   Read your insurance statements

   Check explanation of benefits statements from your insurer and question any treatment or bill you don't recognize. The FTC lists medical identity theft warning signs.

5. 5

   Check your credit reports and statements

   Review your reports for free at annualcreditreport.com and read bank statements for charges you don't recognize. If someone uses your details, report it at IdentityTheft.gov to get a recovery plan.

6. 6

   Check whether your email or phone is in this and other breaches

   Run a free Serus scan. It checks breach databases for your email, phone and other details, and Serus keeps watching and alerts you if they turn up in a new leak.