Surname and postcode sold on the black market and I'm freaking out

[TheHeartGoesLast]

My pension provider recently had a big data breach, and following this I've had an Experian alert that my surname and postcode have been stolen and sold on the black market (I'm signed up to Experian's identity service). I am freaking out, I've heard that identity theft is so so difficult to resolve. Has this happened to anyone else? I've signed up to land registry alerts and a mail preference service, but I feel like all I can now do is wait and see if someone chooses to make my life very difficult.

Anyone can get hold of a surname and postcode.

Surnames and postcodes are often public record with the electoral register. You might just end up getting more spam in the post.

I could write down a list of 100 people and find out their postcodes from the post office website

Not sure I'd be able to commit fraud with that information. A Nectar card maybe? Not earth shattering.

We recently have been victims of identity theft due to having had post stolen - happened to quite a few in our village - and we intercepted new credit cards and banks account details in our names that we hadn’t opened. It was a pain but relatively easy to sort. New cards and accounts closed and we signed up to Experian and we are now registered on CIFAS which should make it harder for whoever it was to try again.

Same happened with the talk talk breach, people ringing me up with my full name, address and date of birth. Bastards.

Your surname and postcode is really easy to get hold of . Any number of people already have it or can find it easily.

Calm down dear

It could quite possibly be a scam email?

My postcode is for the whole street, you may find yours is the same, it is something that anyone can find. Was it the Capita data breach, my pension provider was also in that, like half the pensioners in the country I expect.

Large data breaches seem to be a way of life now, I have had Capita and JD Sports ones so far this year, you just need to be vigilant with spam and phone calls the whole time now

Thanks all. I logged into my Experian account without clicking a link, so it was definitely a real alert. It was just the idea of my details being sold to criminals (which the alert specifically said), but you're all right, this is sadly commonplace and I just have to be vigilant.

Tech industry executive here ... also: person sweating blood every night over "what info on what people my team manages for a living":

You're really okay with "surname / postcode" a lot more is available about a lot more people (including, sorry, but: probably you yourself!) just on the public Internet!

Is this USS? Because that data breach involves quite a bit more than just surnames and postcodes.

Coming back to this because I am alerted that Birth date, Post Code and surname are being sold on black market. From my free Experian account because USS lost by details. Mind you could also be from British Library data loss. What to do now? And is a class action being taken against any of them?