With the unclear nature of the leaked information, it is strongly advised that all affected individuals closely monitor their credit history and bank accounts for fraudulent activity. If any odd activity is found, the victim should immediately contact the VA and associated companies to report the fraud. A more proactive approach to preventing fraud is to place a credit freeze on file with all the major credit bureaus. That will prevent anyone from opening new credit accounts using the stolen personal information. This type of information is commonly used for targeted phishing campaigns, so victims should be wary of emails that pretend to be the VA and ask for additional personal information. If an email is received that asks for such information, the VA should be contacted directly to verify the email’s legitimacy. Lastly, if credit monitoring is offered, it is highly recommended to take advantage of it.

Source Article: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/us-dept-of-veterans-affairs-data-breach-affects-46-000-veterans/