(I guess we've all already voted now...)

From: https://tinyurl.com/mtpj4623 (thegatewaypundit.com)

 National Public Data Admits Hackers Allegedly Stole Social Security Numbers 
in
                     Massive Breach of Nearly ALL Americans

   by Jim Hoft Aug. 19, 2024 11:40 am

   National Public Data (NPD), a Coral Springs, Florida-based company, has
   confirmed that cybercriminals successfully breached its servers, stealing
   the Social Security numbers and other sensitive information of nearly
   EVERY American, the New York Post reported.

   Jerico Pictures Inc., operating as National Public Data, released a
   statement last week acknowledging the massive data breach. The company
   confirmed that the stolen data included names, email addresses, phone
   numbers, Social Security numbers, and mailing addresses.

   The breach, which occurred in late December 2023, is believed to have
   exposed sensitive data through subsequent leaks in April and the summer of
   2024.

   NPD attributed the breach to a "third-party bad actor" and described the
   incident as a "data security incident" in its official statement on its
   website. The company emphasized that it has since conducted an
   investigation into the breach, but the damage has already been done.

   Since August 1, at least eight separate lawsuits have been filed against
   NPD, each alleging negligence and breaches of fiduciary duty. The first of
   these lawsuits was filed by Christopher Hoffman, a California resident,
   who claims that a cybercriminal group known as "USDoD" posted the stolen
   data on the dark web.

   Hoffman's lawsuit, which was first reported by Bloomberg Law, alleges that
   the group made the personal data of 2.9 billion people available for sale
   on the dark web, pricing the database at a staggering $3.5 million. The
   lawsuit further alleges that the hackers obtained data dating back at
   least three decades, including information about relatives and past
   addresses.

   The Gateway Pundit previously reported:

     According to the Times, the information stolen includes possibly every
     Social Security number in America and other sensitive data. News of the
     hack was discovered in a lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the
     Southern District of Florida.

     USDoD previously put the personal data up for sale for $3.5
     million according to the complaint.

     Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog director for the U.S. Public
     Information Research Group told the LA Times in an interview that if
     USDoD is telling the truth, this hack is much more severe than previous
     ones affecting Americans.

     "If this in fact is pretty much the whole dossier on all of us, it
     certainly is much more concerning," Murray said. "And if people weren't
     taking precautions in the past, which they should have been doing, this
     should be a five-alarm wake-up call for them."

   In response to the breach, NPD has urged affected individuals to closely
   monitor their financial accounts and report any unauthorized activity to
   their financial institutions immediately. The company also recommends that
   Social Security number holders contact the three major credit reporting
   agencies-Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion-to obtain a free credit report
   and place a fraud alert on their file.

   According to NPD:

     We strongly advise you to take preventive measures to help prevent and
     detect any misuse of your information. As a first step, we recommend
     that you closely monitor your financial accounts and if you see any
     unauthorized activity, you should promptly contact your financial
     institution.

     As a second step, you may want to contact the three U.S. credit
     reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to obtain a free
     credit report from each by calling 1.877.322.8228 or by logging onto
     www.annualcreditreport.com. It is also recommended that you place a free
     fraud alert on your credit file. A fraud alert tells creditors to
     contact you before they open any new accounts or change your existing
     accounts.

     Contact any one of the three major credit bureaus. As soon as one credit
     bureau confirms your fraud alert, the others are notified to place fraud
     alerts. The initial fraud alert stays on your credit report for one
     year. You can renew it after one year.

     Equifax: equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services or 1-800-685-1111

     Experian: experian.com/help or 1-888-397-3742

     TransUnion: transunion.com/credit-help or 1-888-909-8872

     Ask each credit bureau to send you a free credit report after it places
     a fraud alert on your file. Review your credit reports for accounts and
     inquiries you do not recognize.

     These can be signs of identity theft. If your personal information has
     been misused, visit the FTCs site at IdentityTheft.gov to report the
     identity theft and get recovery steps.

     Even if you do not find any suspicious activity on your initial credit
     reports, it is recommended that you check your credit reports
     periodically so you can spot problems and address them quickly. You may
     also want to consider placing a free credit freeze.

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     A credit freeze means potential creditors cannot get your credit report.
     That makes it less likely that an identity thief can open new accounts
     in your name. To place a freeze, contact each of the major credit
     bureaus at the links or phone numbers above.

     A freeze remains in place until you ask the credit bureau to temporarily
     lift it or remove it.
===

-- Sean
 
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