Where's the Beef with USDA Identity Theft?

The U.S. Agriculture Department became the victim
of identity theft when a hacker gained unauthorized
access to a computer system containing 26,000
employees personal information was discovered
June 5th.

The confidential information accessed by the computer
hacker included:

• Names
• Social Security Numbers (ssn)
• Photos

The information accessed by the hacker was specifically
used by the USDA for the production of media badges for
contractors and staff members within the Washington, DC
area.

Although, only 26,000 employees have been confirmed
were impacted, upon further review the USDA suspects
the total may potentially effect all 110,000 people
within the department.

So, our tip for today is if you or someone you know
has ever worked for the USDA, contact them on their
special toll free hotline to inquire about the free
credit monitoring offer provided by the department.

That toll free number is 1-800-333-4636 and is staffed
from 8am - 9pm eastern daylight time.