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Health & Fitness

4 Million Illinois Healthcare Patients' Social Security Number Stolen

Scambook, the Internet’s leading consumer advocacy platform, is warning the public that an estimated 4 million Chicago-area healthcare patients may be at risk of identity theft after a privacy breach occurred at the Illinois company Advocate Health Care. This comes to light after the company had four computers stolen in July that held private patient information including Social Security numbers, addresses, and dates of birth, all of which can be sold on the black market to create identities.

Advocate Health Care is facing a class action lawsuit for this privacy breach of Personally Identifiable Information (PII). In return for this breach, they are providing patients with a year of free credit monitoring service to keep an eye on financial transactions carried out in the individual’s name and to help spot fraudulent account activity.

Scambook advises all consumers worried about similar situations to heed to the following tips:

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  1. Be proactive about identity theft: It is important to know the potential damage identity theft can cause. Researching different situations will impart how important it is to keep personal information safe.
  2. Know how to fix the problem: Individuals who know which steps to take once identity theft occurs will be better prepared should it happen.
  3. Be mindful of personal information distributed: Social Security numbers should only be provided when absolutely necessary and through safe, secure modes.
  4. Be aware of service breaches: Knowing when a company has been breached will enable consumers to take action right away.
  5. Check credit reports for suspicious activity: Services such as AnnualCreditReport.comprovide credit reports that can help spot fraudulent changes in an account’s activity.
For more information please visit Scambook.com
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