01/21/2026
It happened to our Chief Privacy Officer —and she's in the business of data security.
One day, she was sipping tea, feeling like a responsible adult. The next, she discovered a fraudulent bank account in her name, complete with $5,000 in overdrafts. Yep, identity theft. It’s invasive, stressful, and unfortunately, all too common.
In her blog, she shares her story and the steps she took to fight back, including:
✅ Freezing her credit
✅ Filing a report with the FBI
✅ Monitoring accounts daily
✅ Changing passwords (yes, even the old ones)
Identity theft can happen to anyone, but you can take action to protect yourself. Read the full story and survival guide here: https://techtalk.seattle.gov/2026/01/13/when-your-identity-takes-a-dark-web-vacation-without-you/
Stay vigilant, stay calm, and remember—you’re not alone in this!
I am the Chief Privacy Officer at the City of Seattle, and it happened to me (here’s what to do if it happens to you….) So, it happened to me, and I am in the business of data security! One day, I was sipping tea feeling like a responsible adult, and the next thing I […]