《大中报》读者：我们不幸成了Equifax数据失窃受害者

 

 

在1.43亿美国人和10万加拿大人的信用数据被黑客大规模地盗窃后，Equifax在向受害者提供信息和帮助方面动作迟缓，对受害者遭遇漠然处之。

Equifax has been miserly in providing information and help to people who have been affected by the mass data breach that has involved 143 million Americans and 100,000 Canadians.

大中报的读者陈艾伦（匿名）不幸成为Equifax数据被盗的受害者之一。黑客使用从Equifax数据库盗窃的个人信息，以艾伦的名义购买了数部每辆价格为2.5万加元的汽车。在收到保险公司要求她支付车辆保险费账单时，艾伦才知道自己的信息被黑客盗窃和利用。通过调查，艾伦发现一群黑客从Equifax盗窃了她的个人信用信息，包括她的姓名、地址、社会保险号和她的驾驶执照 。黑客利用这些信息假扮艾伦从银行借款，为以她名义购买的车辆申请汽车保险。

Ellen, a Chinese News reader, has allegedly become a victim to Equifax breach that. Using her identity stolen from the site, a hacker group has bought several vehicles, with the costs of $25,000 each. Ellen had not been aware of the incident until she received notice from the insurance company asking her to pay for the insurance premiums. Through investigation, Ellen has found that a hacker group has taken over her identity profile, using all her information kept with Equifax – from her name and address to her social insurance number and her driver’s licence – impersonate her. They borrowed loans from banks and applied vehicle insurance for the vehicles.

 

身份被盗案件会令受害者身处绝境，痛苦不堪。随着网络盗贼日益嚣张，黑客的犯罪规模越来越大，被盗数据严重破坏了受害者的日常生活，让他们的财务状况受损，并对其身心健康造成长期威胁。根据美国司法部的一份报告，2014年约有1,760万美国人因一次或多次身份被盗而成为受害者，其中三分之二的被盗蒙受经济损失，每名受害者的平均损失为7,761美元。

Falling prey to identity theft is a devastating experience. As cyber theft techniques grow more sophisticated then ever and the scale of the crime on the rise, the data breach wreaks havoc on victims’ lives, creating long lasting impact on their digital, financial, physical and mental wellbeing.  According to a report from US Department of Justice, about 17.6 million Americans were the victims of one or more identity theft incidents in 2014, with two-third of them experiencing direct financial damage and the victims reporting an average loss of $7761 (US).

期待来更自多家银行和保险公司的数额更为高昂的账单的艾伦吓呆了。她粗略估计，她的经济损失可能在十万美元。她脑海里充满了一系列棘手的问题：如何向Equifax证实我是其身份被盗案的受害者？此次事件对我的未来有何影响？是否还会成为日后更多诈骗事件的受害者？作为一个无辜的受害者，谁会对我的经济损失负责？ Equifax会在我找回损失的过程中提供任何帮助吗？

Ellen who saw more bills from more banks and insurance companies coming and in much higher amount, was in shock. The potential financial loss, based on her rough estimates, could be in the amount of hundred of thousand dollars.  Her mind was boggled with burning questions:  How to verify that I was the victim of the breach? What are the residual effects of the incident and would I be vulnerable to future crimes taking advantages of my legal identity? Who will be responsible for the financial suffering of me as an innocent victim? Would Equifax offer any help in my recovery process at all? 

不幸的是，艾伦很难从网络搜寻中找到对其问题的答案。事实上， Equifax为美国受害者提供的信息远比加拿大人士来的多。美国消费者只需到Equifax的网站输入他们的社会保险号码的最后三位数就可以确认自己是否是这场大规模的信用数据被盗的受害者。但是，这一方法却不适用于加拿大Equifax的客户。

Unfortunately, Google search engine has offered little answers to her questions. It provides more information to US victims than their Canadian counterparts, allowing US consumers to verify from Equifax website whether their identify file was stolen by entering the last three-digit of their social insurance number. But such an app is not applicable for Equifax Canadian customers. 

相信艾伦并不是华人社区唯一成为此次网络犯罪的受害者，大中报将包括艾伦和其他受害者所急于解答的问题致电和发电子邮件给Equifax，但是大中报在发稿时没有收到对方的回应。

 

Believing that Ellen was not the only victims in the Chinese community that have fallen victims to the cybercrime, Chinese News called and emailed Equifax with the questions Ellen and others are seeking for answer, but has received no response by the press time. 

Equifax麻木的态度招来了媒体的广泛批评。加拿大环球邮报的文章指出，对公司客户的境遇视之不理，淡然处之，明显反应出Equifax的傲慢态度，既：“你们活该倒霉，我们帮不了忙，你自己想辙吧！”

Equifax callous attitude has sparked criticisms from the media. A Globe article points out that by slowing responding to victims’ concerns, it has sent out a message to its customers that they don’t have the company as their back and that they are dealing with the loss on your own. 

邮报的文章说：“Equifax数据被盗事件中最让人痛心的是，他们根本不把那些深感忐忑不安，不知数据是否遭窃的客户们放在眼里。”同时也根本不把那些因公司失误而造成经济损失的受害者们当回事!

 “The saddest storyline in the Equifax situation is the lack of respect shown to people worried their data may have been stolen,” the article says. And the total disrespect for the victims whose personal information was compromised due to the company’s error. 

艾伦说：“这一突如其来的事件让我不知所措。我们没有得到Equifax的帮助，不知道还会有什么更大的灾难在等着我。这简直就像火上浇油！”

 “The incident has really hit our panic button,” says Ellen. “But adding fuel to the fire was the fact we had obtained little help from Equifax and don’t know what will happen next.”