Federal government posted my social security number online

[ranch1]

What is the name of your state? Nebraska

Here is some information on the situation.
http://www.usa.gov/usdaexposure.shtml

I received my letter from the USDA today stating that I am one that is affected. Basically my social security number was posted online, as part of a longer ID number. The USDA is providing one year of free credit monitoring. My concern is this, I don't know how long my number was online, basically it looks like the only reason this even came to light is a woman googled her own name and found her number on a page in the results. I don't see where they say how long it was up, and I don't know if anyone figured out how to access the information. I do know if the page turned up on a google search, it was up a while, and cached by them. In addition the USDA letter states that other agencies had access to the information, from what I gather. If I were a crook, and I knew that I had someones number, and I also knew that they were provided with a year of credit monitoring (since this has been on the news), I would hold onto it until well after the year is up. My question is this, what do I do after the first year? Do I have to provide my own credit monitoring? In this day and age after being careful with any mail and anything that I get, going so far as to burn it onsite myself, not giving out anything over the phone, etc., I guess I don't know what to think of this situation. I don't have any idea how much credit monitoring is yet, I do know I have too many bills as it is, but I'd think with this sort of thing it should be a little longer at least. I don't know with anyone else, but they are getting several thousand each year from me in interest alone for the next 30+ years, you'd think they could do a little better. Thanks.
If this is in the wrong place, please move it.

 

[ranch1]

I see that providing one year is pretty standard when a site is hacked, or info is stolen. I thought this time since it was flat out posted online, some negligence would be involved. Why should I have to pay for someone else's negligence, especially the governments?

 

[Some Random Guy]

go to www.annualcreditreport.com.

This is the 100% free site that is run by the credit reporting agencies. You can get one credit report from each of the 3 agencies once every 12 months. They will try to up-sell you on FICO scores, and credit monitoring, but you can decline and still get your credift report for free.

There are many ways for scammers to get not only your SSN but also other personal info needed to get credit in your name. I would get used to checking your own credit reports instead of paying $80 per year for credit monitoring.

 

[quincy]

You can get fraud alerts posted on your credit reports, which helps prevent others from opening accounts in your name. You can put initial fraud alerts on these reports, which are good for 90 days, simply by notifying any one of the three major credit report agencies (Experian, TransUnion or Equifax) that your personal information has been compromised, and they will pass on the information to the others. You can also file an identity theft report with the police saying you believe your personal information has been stolen or compromised and, by sending a copy of this report to the credit report agencies, they will keep the fraud alert on your files. No one, then, can use your information to obtain credit. You must be notified if anyone tries. The drawback to this is that it may take longer for you, yourself, to open new credit lines, but the security of knowing no one else can is worth it.

 

[Some Random Guy]

You can get fraud alerts posted on your credit reports, which helps prevent others from opening accounts in your name. You can put initial fraud alerts on these reports, which are good for 90 days...

I have had a mixed experience with this. As a preventative measure, I added a fraud alert to all three credit reporting agencies about 6 years ago.

Since then, I was denied instant credit in one store about 6 months after the notice was added (one of those no payments, no interest for 2 years deals), I was approved for instant credit twice, approved for normal credit through a mail in application about 6 times. On two of those approval occasions, including one last month, I was called to confirm that I was really the one applying for credit.

The notice I put in my file was similar to "FRAUD ALERT: Please call (xxx) xxx-xxxx to verify identity before opening any new credit lines"