If you’re one of the lucky pass holders to Coachella, chances are you’re chomping at the bit to get to Indio and start soaking up the sun, feeling the music, and immersing yourself in that festival vibe. Beyonce pulling out may have left you a little bummed, but there’s a much larger concern, and you may want to take action now! Remember that information you gave when you registered on the Coachella website or activated prior year’s wristbands
Well, that data may now be in the hands of identity thieves – after they breached Coachella’s website.
What Thieves Stole
Goldenvoice, the festival’s promoter notified festival-goers that had registered for this year, as well as prior attendees that unauthorized hackers gained illegal access into the Coachella system and now possesses the following information of those registered:
- Username
- First and Last Name
- Shipping Address
- Email Address
- Phone Number
- Date of Birth
While Goldenvoice and its parent company AEG assures its fans that thieves did not walk off with any passwords, this type of data breach is frightening for the fans affected.
What to Watch For
Have you received any phone calls or emails from anyone claiming to be a Coachella staff member? It appears these identity thieves may try using the stolen data in a phishing scam. Goldenvoice issued this statement to account holders on the festival’s website:
“Be aware that you may be targeted by phishing emails sent from people impersonating Coachella personnel. Please remember that Coachella will never solicit personal information or account information from you via email. Please exercise caution if you receive any emails or phone calls that ask for such information, or direct you to web sites where you are asked for personal or financial information.”
While it is important to know that the data thieves do not have any access to a credit card or festival-attendee financial information, thieves may be able to utilize the stolen data in an attempt at identity fraud.
How to Protect Yourself
If you are a victim of this data breach or any other, it is important that you immediately change all of your passwords on all of your other online accounts. While it may be time-consuming, this process can protect you in the long run. You may also want to take the extra step of contacting your financial institutions and credit bureaus. Even if the data thieves didn’t take your credit card information, they could use the data they did steal to falsify a new account in your name. One last line of protection would be to sign up with a credit monitoring service – that will notify you if any new accounts show up in your name.
The Carter Law Firm can help you if you have been the victim of a data breach. For additional information regarding any of these violations, please complete the form below and we will contact you.
