What is going on with information protection?

Published 11:41 am Sunday, April 7, 2024

A couple of weeks ago, I got an email from AT&T informing me my account passcode had been compromised.

They claim there was no personal financial information obtained by the hackers; however, the crooks may have acquired my name, address, birth date and social security number.

Now in an effort to help me out, sweet old AT&T said they went ahead and reset my passcode. Great! So, while these hackers have my information, I am now locked out. That is until I go through the laborious trouble of resetting my passcode.

On Friday, I got another notice of a security hack.

This time it was from loanDepot. I have never heard of loanDepot and figured this was a scam.

However, when I did a brief Google search, it appears it is not. At msn.com, it stated, and I quote, “This letter is not a scam.”

The website went on to say that while many viewers, like me, had never heard of or done business with loanDepot directly, the company does get consumer information from third-party companies when those consumers are shopping for a mortgage.

So, what is loanDepot going to do to rectify the breach?

According to the letter I received, several things, one of which includes contacting law enforcement. They are also launching an investigation. Oh, and although my information may not be being misused, they are offering an option of 24-month identity protection services.

Hmm. So here is a company that has not thoroughly protected itself and all the sensitive information they have in their safekeeping from hackers and now they are wanting me to sign on to their identity protection.

This seems to be happening all too often and becoming a pattern with so many companies. I would say that it’s just the way of the world now, but my son works for a company that offers large corporations protection. Perhaps I should send them his number.

Taking out the 24-month protection is probably advisable, but before I do, I am going to make a call to my son.

I trust his advice and he may have a safer option.

Terri Cowart Frazier writes features for The Vicksburg Post. She can be reached at terri.frazier@vicksburgpost.com.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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