Revenge of the Bong-Smoking Boyfriend

Hi Barefoot,
 
Before I read your book I made the mistake of getting a Latitude credit card for a TV. Now I’m a smidge away from paying it off, thanks to you! But I just received an email letting me know that Latitude has been hacked! I have followed all of your suggestions up until now, such as locking my credit file through Credit Savvy. I have spent a long time getting my credit score to a respectable place from 273 to now where it is well over 800. I’m concerned this hack could affect or undo all of my hard work! Is there anything else I can do to protect myself?
 
Linda

Hi Linda,
 
Oh, no!
 
Latitude is the financial equivalent of that dirtbag boyfriend you’re planning on breaking up with because he spends too much time sitting on the sofa getting stoned and playing Xbox. And now you find out he’s been cheating on you as well!
 
Latitude’s consumer debt products suck almost as much as their cybersecurity … which the Director of the Australian Computer Society (ACS), Mr Louay Ghashash, described as “dismal … they have failed on all fronts”.
 
Now to your actual question:
 
The truth is that if you’ve shut down your credit file then you’ve done all you can. And I’d give even less latitude to credit scores – to me they’re the financial equivalent of a horoscope.
 
However, if you’re one of the 330,000 customers of Latitude reading this and you haven’t locked down your file, do it now. And from now on choose your financial boyfriends wisely!

Scott.