Ohio Attorney General\u2019s information<\/i><\/p>\n
COLUMBUS — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine encourages consumers to change their passwords following the announcement of a breach affecting eBay users\u2019 passwords.<\/p>\n
\u201cA data breach doesn\u2019t necessarily mean identity theft, but it\u2019s a good idea to take common-sense steps to protect your personal information,\u201d Attorney General DeWine said. \u201cA good place to start is by changing your password and creating a different password for each of your accounts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Attorney General DeWine offered consumers the following tips:<\/p>\n
If you are an eBay user, change your password. If you have used the same password for other accounts, consider changing those passwords as well.<\/p>\n
Choose a different password for each of your online accounts.<\/p>\n
Create passwords that are long and complex, using a variety of numbers, letters, and characters. Rather than choosing a word, consider picking a familiar phrase and using the first letter of each word, followed by a random number. For example, you could use the phrase \u201cMy dog\u2019s name is Brutus!\u201d and choose the password, \u201cMdniB!579.\u201d<\/p>\n
Change your passwords often.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t store passwords or account username reminders on smartphones or computers. This personal information could be compromised by a computer virus.<\/p>\n
Beware of possible scams related to the breach. For example, watch out for email or text messages that instruct you to click on a link to \u201cchange your password.\u201d Some scammers may use the breach as ploy to get you to click on malicious links.<\/p>\n