Real estate title firm's lapse exposes data in 885M flies

[TexasTowelie]

5. If the bills were mailed to the hackers address and never paid,

then it will affect your credit rating. That could affect you down the road if you need a loan to rent an apartment, buy a vehicle, or buy property. You might still be able to get a loan in some circumstances, but it could result in paying a higher interest rate. For short-term loans through a bank or credit union you could be denied and would have to take out a payday loan or car title loan where the interest rates are exorbitant.

In addition, a lot of employers check out the credit ratings of their new employees to see if they are financially responsible and it could result in employment not being offered. In certain government positions and for related contractors, it could also result in the denial of security clearances.

In a number of states, your credit rating may also impact your auto insurance rates and you will be charged a higher premium.

I'm certain that there are other repercussions, but those are a few that I can think of initially.