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Naomi B, Florida

Miami resident Naomi B heard about the security breach at DSW a month before she was notified by the company that her personal information had been compromised. DSW urged Naomi B to check her credit reports to make sure there had been no fraudulent activity.

For Naomi B, ensuring the safety of her identity became a time-consuming task. After deciding to cancel all but two of her credit cards, Naomi B spent hours on the phone with credit card companies convincing them to cancel her accounts.

In the months that followed, Naomi B received notices that her information had also been involved in security breaches at Chase Mortgage and Capital One. Soon after hearing about these breaches, Naomi B placed a freeze on her credit report. A security freeze locks, or freezes access to consumer credit reports and credit score. Naomi B believes that the freeze prevented thieves from opening new credit accounts in her name.

Since the initial breach notifications, Naomi B not received communication or assistance from Chase, Capital One, or DSW. She looks forward to leaving the hassle the security breaches behind her.

“I’ve given up living in fear and have opted just to live,” Naomi B told Consumers Union.

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