Breach alert: American Express Armor Cracked

Breach Alert: American Express Armor Cracked

American Express (AmEx) recently disclosed a data breach that impacted cardholders. According to the company, the breach originated from a third-party merchant processor and may have exposed card member names, account numbers, and expiration dates. If you are an AmEx customer, here are some steps you can take to mitigate the damage:

Review your account statements: Carefully review your account statements for any fraudulent activity. If you notice any unauthorized transactions, report them to AmEx immediately.

Sign up for notifications: Sign up to receive instant notifications of potential suspicious activity by enabling Notifications in the American Express Mobile app, or signing up for email or text messaging at americanexpress.com/accountalerts.

Monitor your credit reports: Monitor your credit reports carefully and remain vigilant in doing so, especially over the next 12 to 24 months. If you notice any suspicious activity, report it to the credit bureau immediately.

Forward suspicious emails: If you receive an email relating to American Express that you believe could be fraudulent, immediately forward it to UKemailfraud@americanexpress.com. Do not include your account number in the email.

In addition to these steps, there are several things you can do in the future to manage risk and protect your personal information. One effective strategy is to compartmentalize your personal data. This involves creating virtual compartments whereby you concentrate carefully separated pools of data. Each compartment revolves around a different sphere of your identity, such as your personal ID, business email, work-related activity, social media, and private identity. The goal is to minimize the possibility of linking one pool of data to another.

Another strategy is to leverage email, credit card, and phone number aliasing. This involves creating aliases for your email, credit card, and phone number. By doing so, you can limit the amount of personal information you share with third-party merchants and service providers. For example, you can create a separate email address for online shopping and use a virtual credit card number for online transactions.

Finally, consider putting credit freezes and even fraud alerts on your credit profiles for enhanced protection. A security freeze is one of the most important steps you can take to protect yourself from having identity thieves open credit accounts in your name. Freezes prohibit consumer credit reporting agencies from disclosing the contents of a credit report to any person requesting the data. Without that credit file, lenders generally will not extend credit to you – or anyone claiming to be you. In other words, a credit freeze helps to prevent new credit accounts from being established in your name. Freezing your credit is becoming increasingly important, and it’s now required by law that credit reporting agencies offer credit freezes for free. Thawing a freeze to authorize a credit pull takes a matter of minutes.

In conclusion, the recent AmEx data breach highlights the importance of taking proactive measures to protect your personal information. By following the steps outlined above and implementing effective risk management strategies, you can minimize the damage caused by data breaches and protect your personal information from future attacks.

For more infomration about hardening your online accounts, see our FAQ Page and consider subscribing to a comprehensive Protection Plan to rest easy.

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