Students and older teens have not been vaccinated against the strain that has caused the outbreak of cases in Kent.
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Do you know the true cost of identity theft?
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Identity theft tied to major data broker breaches has cost Americans more than $20 billion over the past decade, according to a 2026 report from the U.S. Senate Joint Economic Committee.
That figure comes from just four breaches: Equifax (2017), Exactis (2018), National Public Data (2023) and TransUnion (2025). The estimate applies federal identity-theft loss data, including a typical loss of about $200 per victim, across hundreds of millions of exposed records.
The result is a multibillion-dollar total. It’s also a narrow one. The calculation shows reported financial losses. It doesn’t account for damaged credit files, delayed loan approvals, higher borrowing costs or the hours consumers spend restoring their financial records after misuse.
So where does that leave you?
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HOW DEBIT CARD FRAUD CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT USING THE CARD
Massive data breaches at Equifax, Exactis, National Public Data and TransUnion exposed personal information that criminals later used for identity theft and financial fraud. (Nastasic/Getty Images)
What this median leaves out
The $200 figure used in the federal estimate is a median. It marks the midpoint of reported identity theft losses collected by the FTC. Many cases fall above it. FTC Consumer Sentinel data shows that losses swing widely depending on how the fraud happens. When money is moved through bank transfers or payment apps, reported median losses are markedly higher than in cases involving unauthorized credit card charges.
Loan or lease fraud can leave you with balances that need formal disputes before lenders correct the record. Reversing a charge doesn’t automatically restore a credit file. Accounts opened in your name can generate hard inquiries.
Missed payments linked to fraudulent loans can appear before the account is identified as fraudulent. And lenders reviewing a mortgage or auto application evaluate the report as it exists at that time. A $200 median captures a reported dollar amount. It falls short of showing how identity misuse can stifle borrowing terms or access to credit later.
The time cost of identity theft
After identity theft, the first step the FTC directs you to take is to file a report at IdentityTheft.gov. That generates a recovery plan and an identity theft report, which can be used to dispute fraudulent accounts. This is your starting point, and not anywhere close to a resolution.
Victims are instructed to contact each affected creditor directly, close or freeze compromised accounts and request written confirmation that the account was fraudulent. If a new line of credit was opened, that often requires submitting more documentation, completing affidavits and following up until the lender updates its reporting to the credit bureaus.
The FTC also advises placing a fraud alert with one of the three nationwide credit bureaus, which must notify the others. A credit freeze must be placed separately with each bureau. If you later apply for credit, they must temporarily lift the freeze before lenders can access your credit report. The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) reports that victims frequently spend weeks resolving cases involving new account fraud. Complex cases can stretch even longer, especially when collection agencies become involved or when fraudulent tax returns trigger IRS identity verification.
1 BILLION IDENTITY RECORDS EXPOSED IN ID VERIFICATION DATA LEAK
An identity theft victim in Albany, New York, looks over documents he’s gathered. Victims of identity theft frequently spend weeks disputing fraudulent accounts, contacting lenders and restoring their credit reports after stolen data is misused. (John Carl D’Annibale/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)
During that period, you may be gathering records, mailing certified letters, waiting on hold with creditors or tracking dispute deadlines. The process moves at the pace of institutional review. All this time required to repair records is part of the cost of your stolen identity.
Earlier this year, a 57-year-old woman in Los Alamitos, California, discovered her identity had been stolen after receiving a voicemail from a Hertz rental location in Miami asking when she planned to return a Mercedes-Benz. She had never rented the vehicle, reported $78,500 in losses and spent nearly 10 days trying to recover from a single stolen ID.
Here’s where identity theft becomes more expensive
In its March 2025 Consumer Sentinel Network release, the FTC said consumers lost more than $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024, a 25% increase from 2023. Identity theft made up a large share of those reports. When misuse goes undetected, it spreads.
A stolen Social Security number can be used to open multiple accounts over time. Hard inquiries appear across different credit bureaus. New lenders and collection agencies show up, and each additional account adds another dispute you need to resolve. Identity theft often doesn’t stop after the first incident.
The ITRC says 31.5% of general consumer victims were targeted twice in a year, and 24.6% were hit three times last year. Even though fewer people reported a first-time identity theft, repeat targeting is becoming more common. Once your information is exposed, it can be used again. Losses can grow fast, too.
The same ITRC report found that more than 20% of victims reported losses exceeding $100,000. As the fraud spreads, so does the cleanup. What starts as a single unauthorized account can turn into disputes with lenders, credit bureaus and collection agencies. That buildup over time is where identity theft becomes more expensive.
How identity theft protection and credit monitoring can help
If you rely on occasional credit checks or alerts from a single bank, you’re only seeing activity tied to one account. If fraud appears elsewhere, it may not surface until a lender flags it.
Identity protection services can track activity across all three major credit bureaus and alert you to new inquiries or accounts as they appear. Some also scan breach datasets for exposed personal identifiers, including Social Security numbers and email addresses. Earlier alerts mean fewer fraudulent accounts can accumulate before you step in.
5 MYTHS ABOUT IDENTITY THEFT THAT PUT YOUR DATA AT RISK
Identity theft tied to major data broker breaches has cost Americans more than $20 billion over the past decade, according to a Senate report. (Sara Diggins/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)
Many services provide three-bureau credit monitoring and real-time alerts when there are changes to your credit report. Some also scan known data breach records for exposed personal information and connect members with fraud resolution specialists who help with documentation and disputes. Certain plans include identity theft insurance that can help cover eligible recovery costs, subject to policy limits.
Monitoring does not prevent every identity theft attempt. It can reduce how far fraud spreads and how long it takes to contain it.
See my tips and best picks on Best Identity Theft Protection at Cyberguy.com.
Kurt’s key takeaways
The numbers tied to major data broker breaches show just how expensive stolen information can become. A single exposed record may seem harmless at first, but once that information spreads through the data broker ecosystem, it can resurface again and again. For many victims, the real damage is not just the money lost. It is the time spent disputing accounts, repairing credit files and trying to stop fraud from spreading further. Identity theft rarely happens in one clean event. It often unfolds slowly as criminals reuse the same stolen details across multiple lenders, services and databases. The good news is that you are not powerless. Monitoring your credit, limiting how widely your personal information appears online and responding quickly to alerts can reduce the damage if your information is misused. The earlier you catch suspicious activity, the easier it is to stop it before it spreads.
Have you ever checked your credit report or searched your name online and found information about yourself that surprised you? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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Half a million lose power as storm lashes US from midwest to east coast
Half a million US homes and businesses were without power on Tuesday morning after a potent storm system brought a mix of snow, strong winds, cold temperatures and rainfall to areas from the midwest to the east coast.
As of Tuesday morning, there were about 107,000 power outages reported in Michigan, according to poweroutage.us. In New York, there were 68,000 power outages; 65,000 were registered in Pennsylvania and 50,000 in Massachusetts.
The National Weather Service (NWS) said early on Tuesday that a “deep cyclone together with a potent cold front continue to move through New England early this morning where very gusty winds, brief heavy downpours and sharply falling temperatures are still in progress”.
The cyclone, the weather agency said, was expected to move into eastern Canada as Tuesday progressed. But, the NWS added, circulation will “allow strong and gusty winds” to continue into Tuesday night across New England before diminishing on Wednesday.
Over the past few days, several states including Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan, have seen snowfall well into the double digits. Snowfall was reported in the southern state of Alabama, too.
The system also triggered multiple tornado warnings across several states, and tornadoes were recorded in Missouri, Illinois, North Carolina, Arkansas and Mississippi. No injuries were reported.
Travel has also been disrupted, with thousands of flights cancelled since Sunday. About 930 flights within, into, or out of the US scheduled for Tuesday were cancelled as of the morning, according to Flight Aware.
The NWS in Detroit, Michigan, has warned that conditions are expected to remain cold on Tuesday, “with wind chills to [about] 0 degrees”. They also warned that “scattered light lake effect snow showers and flurries” would continue on Tuesday.
In Minnesota, “light snow showers” were forecast in parts of the state on Tuesday, “with a couple inches of accumulation expected”. And in New York City, officials warned of “blustery and cool” conditions, with wind gusts up to 55mph expected.
Farther north, in Buffalo, residents are bracing for periods of “lake effect snow” eastward and bitter cold temperatures through Tuesday night. And in Virginia, scattered snow showers were expected to continue on Tuesday across the mountains.
Freeze warnings – which are issued when temperatures are forecast to go below freezing for a long period of time – were in place on Tuesday morning in parts of Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana and North Carolina. Meanwhile, high wind warnings were in place in parts of South Dakota, Montana, Maine, Vermont and Wyoming.
Forecasters with the NWS also said that “an unusually early heatwave will be expanding eastward across the western US as the week progresses”. High temperatures reaching the “century mark” – 100F – were expected to begin appearing Tuesday afternoon across portions of southern California.
By Wednesday afternoon, “high temperatures will soar well up into the 100s across much of the Desert Southwest,” they said. “Temperatures this hot so early in the year could shatter high temperatures records by as much as 10 degrees.”
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Founders get chance to be matched with Hollywood star for business boost
Small business owners will get the chance to be matched with a Hollywood star for mentoring and win a £7,500 grant as part of a new global campaign.
Eva Longoria is the face of a programme run by tech giant Lenovo aimed at connecting like-minded entrepreneurs through business “twinning”.
A select number of founders will benefit from mentorship and a boost to their profile from the American actress, businesswoman and investor.
Small businesses from the UK, US, Japan and Mexico can apply to win 10,000 US dollars (£7,490) worth of grant funding, artificial intelligence-powered devices and mentoring through the cross-border initiative, named Backing Every Business.
The 12 winners will be paired up across industries and countries in a bid to plug a “support gap” that Lenovo said many smaller firms face.
Lenovo, which is based in Hong Kong and makes electronics including laptops and PCs, said twinning matches entrepreneurs facing similar challenges to help them solve problems and learn from each other.
It has partnered with Longoria for the campaign who, alongside her acting career, has a number of business ventures including as the part-owner of Mexican football club Club Necaxa and involvement in women’s club Angel City FC.
Longoria said being an entrepreneur was “one of the hardest, most daring things you can do” and that “entire communities benefit” when founders get support.
Applicants for the competition must have fewer than 250 employees and have generated less than 50 million US dollars in revenue and raised less than three million US dollars of investment capital.
Winners will be chosen by an independent group of judges after applications close on April 15.
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Lloyds faces questions over ‘troubling’ banking app glitch
Lloyds Banking Group is facing intense scrutiny from a powerful parliamentary committee after a significant data breach allowed some customers to view other users’ financial transactions via their banking app last week.
The incident has prompted the Treasury Committee to demand immediate answers from the high street giant.
Dame Meg Hillier, chairwoman of the Treasury Committee, has formally written to Charlie Nunn, the group chief executive, seeking comprehensive details.
Her letter, explicitly headed “improper disclosure of individuals’ account information,” requests information on the number of customers affected, the expected compensation payouts, and the precise nature of the sensitive data that became visible.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Dame Meg stated: “On the face of it, this is an alarming breach of data confidentiality. In the interests of transparency, I would welcome a set of responses from Lloyds Banking Group related to this troubling incident.”
The committee has also set a timeline for further disclosures. Within one month, Lloyds is expected to provide an initial assessment of whether any customers have fallen victim to financial crime as a direct result of the information exposed.
A more detailed account, including a full description of how the incident occurred and the preventative steps taken, has been requested within six months.
On 12 March, some customers using Bank of Scotland, Lloyds and Halifax apps reported that they were able to see information related to other people’s accounts through their banking app.
Customers said they could see transactions unrelated to them such as direct debits, wages, cash withdrawals, and some national insurance numbers related to payments.
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One woman told the Press Association last week of her shock to find that she was “looking at someone else’s life” when she logged into her banking app.
Last March, the committee found that nine of the top banks had accumulated at least 33 days’ worth of outages over the preceding two years.
A Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) spokesperson said last week that it was in contact with Lloyds to understand what had happened and how it was being resolved.
The FCA spokesperson said previously: “We expect firms to protect customer data and be able to respond to and quickly recover from disruptions.”
Lloyds has previously apologised to customers and said it was looking into what had happened.
