Received an ID Notify email that said to login to Turbo Tax for details - is this legit?

[uclamm]

Referenced a data breach and the dark web

[Bsch4477]

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/account-management/sign-idnotify/L33FBuj...

If your Social Security number is exposed on the dark web, it's important to act quickly to minimize the potential damage. Here are the steps you can take:

1. **Monitor your credit**: Obtain free credit reports from the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) at [AnnualCreditReport.com](https://www.annualcreditreport.com). Review them for any suspicious activity.

2. **Place a fraud alert or credit freeze**:
- **Fraud Alert**: This will notify potential lenders to take extra steps to verify your identity before approving credit in your name. You can contact any of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert.
- **Credit Freeze**: This prevents creditors from accessing your credit reports entirely, making it more difficult for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name.

3. **Report identity theft**: If you suspect fraudulent activity, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at [IdentityTheft.gov](https://www.identitytheft.gov). They will guide you through a recovery plan.

4. **Contact the Social Security Administration (SSA)**: Reach out to the SSA if you're concerned about misuse of your Social Security number. While they typically won’t issue a new number unless there's evidence of ongoing harm, they can provide guidance.

5. *File taxes early**: Fraudsters may attempt to file a tax

[Opus 17]

This comes from IDNotify, an extra service you might have signed up for with a Turbotax bundle.  Log into your account there for more details. 

In general, I think most people have at least some personal info exposed, and should take steps to protect their credit and identity even if they haven't been personally attacked yet (especially if you haven't been attacked yet.)

You can pay for credit monitoring but that is probably more than most people need to do.  I have placed either a lock or a freeze on my credit files (prevents most attempts to take out new loans in my name) and I have credit cards that provide credit monitoring -- they will tell me if my score decreases and I can go look why that might be.  You want to make sure you use secure passwords on your banking sites and don't re-use passwords--if someone cracks a low security site like a fan web site you comment on, you don't want that password to also work on high security sites like banks and investments.  You can also turn on two-factor authentication when available