At least 3,000 Texans will begin to be notified this week that their drivers license…
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According to the Texas Department of Public Safety Director, a New York-based Chinese crime group breached at least 3,000 Texas drivers licenses by exploiting an existing security vulnerability. Most of the licenses breached belonged to Texans of Asian descent.Dreamstime, HODELETE60 / TNS
If you are one of the thousands of Texans whose drivers license numbers were stolen by an organized Chinese crime group late last year – or if you’re someone who is concerned about identity theft – you might be wondering what to do next.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McGraw, a New York-based Chinese crime group breached at least 3,000 Texas drivers licenses by exploiting an existing security vulnerability. Most of the licenses breached belonged to Texans of Asian descent.
DPS has been aware of the breach since at least December.
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Stolen drivers license numbers can be used to open accounts in your name, avoid traffic tickets, create fake identities, or take advantage of government benefits.
If you fear your license may have been breached, here’s what to do:
Contact the Texas Department of Public Safety office nearest you. The DPS can check its database to determine if a license was issued in your name. If you find one was wrongly issued in your name, you can report that fraud to DPS. Each DPS office will then determine the best course of action for each individual situation.
Monitor your bank statements and credit reports to determine if any accounts have been opened with your information that you do not recognize.
Contact your local police department and file a report that your identity was stolen.
Run a background check on yourself if possible to determine if there’s anything suspicious on your record.
File a report with the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov.
DPS officials said they this week will begin notifying people whose license numbers were stolen. They said more than the 3,000 known Texans could be impacted.