INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WOWO): In the wake of the Anthem Inc. data breach where the personal information of millions of people was apparently accessed by computer hackers, the Indiana Attorney General’s Office has seen exceptionally high demand in recent days for the free credit freeze function on its web site, www.IndianaConsumer.com.
The free credit freeze is one tool Hoosiers can use to protect themselves against identity theft because it prevents fraudsters from opening up an unauthorized line of credit in the consumer’s name while allowing the consumer to continue to use existing credit.
According to a press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office, just seven people had visited the AG’s Office’s credit freeze page February 4, before Indianapolis-based Anthem announced the data breach. On Thursday February 5, the number of visitors clicking on the page increased to 1,677. Demand continued through the weekend with 5,563 visiting the page Saturday February 7 and another 3,014 visiting on Sunday, February 8.
“We recommend Hoosiers register for the free credit freeze with all three credit bureaus – either online, or in writing – whether they are Anthem customers or not, as the freeze will limit the damage identity thieves can inflict and it can be lifted at the consumer’s request at any time. A credit freeze at the front end is better than credit monitoring which only alerts you to fraud after the fact,” Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller said.
