Ifyou are a US citizen, Experian, one of three US credit reporting agencies, most likely has a file on you.  So, it may alarm you that Experian has been sued for selling private consumer information to a Vietnamese man that in-turn sold the information to identity thieves.

It is the first action taken against the data broker and Experian bureau since Vietnamese national Hieu Minh Ngo, pleaded guilty in New Hampshire federal court to running an underground website that offered clients access to personal data of Americans. Ngo had access to database of records on some 200 million Americans, according to court filings.

Federal officials say Ngo obtained Social Security numbers through a U.S. firm known as Court Ventures, which provides customers with access to court records. It also offered them access to a database of Social Security numbers through a data-share arrangement with another firm, known as U.S. Info Search.

Officials with both Experian and U.S. Info Search say they have not been able to ascertain which records were accessed by Ngo’s customers and are therefore unable to notify victims.

If you or someone you know is a victim of identity theft, we welcome the opportunity for you to use Life Crafter’s ID Theft Checklist for free.   Or, if you prefer, a Life Crafter coach can work with you directly.

Fair Credit Reporting Act