Sometimes, that includes your gym membership! Stealing medical IDs, Social Security numbers and addresses poses a much larger risk of identity theft since these details can be used to act and behave as the customer," Anscombe said.A lot of health insurance carriers will reimburse you for all kinds of things related to taking better care of yourself. The hack "is a very different issue compared to breaches at Target and Home Depot. Customers should also change their email and password combination on any online accounts if they were the same combination used with Anthem, he said. Anscombe also advised customers to monitor their credit reports to ensure someone isn't taking out a line of credit using their identities. She said consumers can also call credit bureaus and place a 90-day "fraud alert" that will let merchants know there could be fraud on the account if someone applies for credit accounts in their name. Harris said scammers, in emails or by phone, will falsely pose as the company that was attacked and offer to help consumers in a bid to steal more information. "If in doubt, contact Anthem to ensure it's an official communication," he said. Tony Anscombe of AVG Technologies advised people to watch for emails that look as if they came from Anthem and not to click on suspicious-looking links. Customers should monitor their debit and credit card accounts and report any suspicious activity immediately, security experts said. Customers with more questions can call (877) 263-7995 or visit Q: What can I do to protect myself? A: Although Anthem said it appears no credit card data were stolen, the types of personal information accessed expose customers to identify theft. The company said it will mail notices to those whose data were compromised as soon as possible and will enroll those customers in identity repair services and give them information on free credit monitoring. A: How do I know whether I was affected? Anthem said it has been working to identify members and groups affected since the breach was discovered last week. Q: Anthem said its investigation has found no evidence that credit card or confidential health information was exposed. Some of the customer data may also include details on their income. Q: What was stolen? A: Hackers obtained customers' names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, member ID numbers, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and employment information, Anthem said. The company hasn't determined who is behind the attack. Anthem said investigators are still assessing the extent of the breach and number of people directly affected. The accessed database had records on about 80 million people. Anthem said information on customers' children was also taken, as was data of "Anthem Blue Cross employees who are currently covered, or who have received coverage in the past." It appears that doctors, hospitals and insurance brokers did not have their information accessed, the company said. Both current and former members are at risk, as well as other Blue Cross Blue Shield patients from all 50 states who had sought care in Anthem's coverage area. Those possibly affected are customers at large employers, people enrolled in Medicaid managed-care plans and individual policyholders. In the meantime, here is what you need to know: Question: Who is at risk? Answer: Hackers gained access to a database that held records on people across all of Anthem's businesses, the company said. Anthem sent an e-mail to members Thursday notifying them of the breach promising to notify them individually if their personal information was accessed.
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