Columbia, SC — A month ago, we were informed by our government that our tax records had been compromised by an overseas hacker. Since then we have been asked to give our sensitive information to an identity-protection service selected by our government, and offered little explanation as to how this could happen.

As a reward for carrying out my duty as a citizen, for paying to live in the greatest country in the world, my personal information could be sitting in the hands of a faceless thief.

Why are we not demanding more answers? I cannot be the only citizen who has had to make major changes to my banking and personal information to maintain my financial security, credit information and good name. The Social Security Administration said it would not issue a new Social Security number to me for this event, and told me to contact the IRS for answers. When I contacted the IRS I could not even locate a person to talk to.

Please do not think that we will be rescued by our government if our financial information falls into the wrong hands. Why didn’t the Department of Revenue take the proper precaution by encrypting the personal information taxpayers are required to hand over when they file their tax returns? Now the state is forced to pay $12 million to a credit protection service to limit the damage.

Contact your state representatives and demand that they do something to protect their citizens and state better, by offering answers, solutions and assistance to those affected by their blunders.

Ashley Albertson

Columbia