City of Royal Oak, Michigan Data Breach Notice (Massachusetts Attorney General)

What to do now

Steps that match what this notice says was exposed

Every step below is free and you do it yourself, and none of it depends on City of Royal Oak, Michigan.

1. Freeze your credit — this is the one that matters. A freeze is free, it takes minutes, and it has to be done separately at all three bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. It stops a new account being opened in your name, which is what a Social Security number in the wrong hands is for. You can lift it temporarily whenever you need credit.
2. Report the licence number to your state DMV. Most states will note the number as compromised, and some will issue a new one. It is the field that turns a stolen identity into a usable one in person.

One more, whatever was exposed: a breach notice is a favourite disguise for a phishing email. If a message about this arrives, do not use its links — go to the company’s site yourself, or call the number on your statement.