Blog Post  Orbitz Data Breach

Orbitz, Expedia’s travel search engine subsidiary, recently announced a data security incident that occurred at the end of 2017. It is estimated that nearly 900,000 customers were impacted by the breach with 7,579 of those customers being Massachusetts residents.

According to Orbitz, personal information including full name, payment card information, date of birth, phone number, email address, billing address, and gender was made accessible to hackers through a cyber-attack. The investigation concluded that social security numbers and passport information were not subject to any unauthorized access.

As a result of the data breach, Orbitz is offering affected customers one year of complimentary credit monitoring and identity protection services. Customers who were affected may sign up for access to the free services by visiting the submission page or by calling the toll-free number at 1-855-828-3959.

If you think you may have been affected by this breach, be sure to take the following steps:

• Review and monitor your credit and debit card accounts, making sure to look at older statements. If you notice any suspicious or unauthorized activity, contact your bank or the card issuer immediately.
• Obtain a copy of your credit report. Consumers are entitled to one free credit report each year from each of the credit reporting bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion).
• Consider placing a credit freeze, credit lock, or fraud alert on your credit report. A credit freeze may incur fees but prevents any lenders from viewing your credit history without your permission. Placing a freeze ensures that no accounts or loans are created in your name. A credit lock is a more temporary alternative to a freeze. They often come with monthly fees rather than a fee to place/lift a credit lock and have similar protections to a freeze. Fraud alerts allow creditors to see your information, but require them to verify your identity before issuing credit.

If you have been a victim of identity theft, the credit reporting agencies cannot charge you to place, lift, or remove a security freeze, so long as you provide them with a valid police report.

If you were impacted the Orbitz data breach be sure to visit their website for new information as it is made available. If not, it is still smart to regularly check your accounts in case there is ever suspicious activity. Contact your local police department and file a report with the FTC if you think you are the victim of identity or financial theft. Acting fast instead of waiting will better protect you against identity fraud and the financial burdens that may come with it.