Press Release

MONSTER DATA BREACH

Equifax offers advice to job hunters after recruitment website hacked

London, 27th January 2009 - Job hunters using recruitment website, Monster.com, are likely to be worried that their personal details might have gone astray after the news broke today that hackers have stolen the personal information of registered members. According to the reports, hackers stole contact and account data, including Monster user IDs and passwords, email addresses and phone numbers.

"A rising number of people are signing up to sites such as Monster and LinkedIn to find full time jobs or contract work, but they must use caution when placing their CV online," warns Neil Munroe, External Affairs Director for Equifax. "According to the Metropolitan Police, criminals only need three pieces of information to commit ID fraud. It's vital, therefore, that job hunters think very carefully about the information included in their CV before putting it online. The current economic climate means there are more people entering the job market and fraudsters are taking advantage."

Equifax says individuals often reveal too much personal data on their CV, which isn't necessary and leaves them open to fraud with the latest scams involving fake recruiters targeting online job hunters. The fraudsters offer bogus jobs in order to get bank details or use the information gained to commit a number of identity related thefts.

Munroe adds, "People are vulnerable when they are looking for a job, as they are willing to put their trust in a stranger to grab what looks like a great opportunity. However, the data breach at Monster.com proves that fraudsters are always looking at new ways to extract money or steal an identity.

"A CV, by its very nature, holds a lot of personal information on an individual. But we would strongly advise against putting all your personal information on a CV when posting it online. You can always provide details at a later date once you have confirmed the source is genuine"

To help protect them, Equifax has compiled a simple list of steps to stop the dream job being a nightmare in reality.

EQUIFAX TIPS TO PROTECT YOUR DETAILS WHEN APPLYING FOR JOBS ONLINE

Limit the amount of personal information you include on your CV when making it available to others online - you can give this to them at a later date
Verify the company/individual you are liaising with by doing some background checks on them
Do not send any money/account details until you are 100% sure a job offer is genuine and can transfer the money securely

EQUIFAX TIPS TO PROTECT AGAINST ID FRAUD ONLINE

Be wary of emails that begin "Dear customer", rather than using your name or phone calls 'phishing' for further personal information.
Your bank will never ask you to reveal your PIN or passwords in full. Don't reveal these to anyone
Check your bank statements for any unusual transactions
When using online banking, ensure people can't view your details and log out of the site, rather than just closing the window
Do not use the same PIN number for all of your cards and never write your PIN number down
Make sure you have the latest virus protection that ideally updates hourly and you have a Firewall
Be careful of what you carry around in your handbag or wallet. Credit Card receipts, payslips, driving licence, bank statement, utility bill.these all reveal a lot of information about you and a combination of these can be a fraudsters dream
Apply for a copy of your credit file to look out for any unauthorised activity
Sign up for a service like Equifax Identity Watch to alert you of any potentially fraudulent activity.

ENDS

For interviews with Neil Munroe please contact the Equifax Press Office below or call him direct on 07710 844518

For further press information please contact: Elinor Puzey, Louise Fowler, Cecile Stearn or Wendy Harrison at HSL on 020 8977 9132 / Fax: 020 8977 5200 or Email: elinor@harrisonsadler.com