Settlement FAQs

how do i check equifax data breach settlement

by Prof. Ellen Schmidt III Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
image

  1. Use the official online tool you can use to check if you were part of the Equifax breach.
  2. Enter your last name and last six digits of your social security number to see if your data was part of the hack.
  3. If you and your data were part of the breach, head to the Equifax Data Breach Settlement website to file a claim to get back money.
  4. You can mail your claim or have a claim form mailed to you, if you rather not use the site.
  5. To complete your claim, select which benefits you are eligible for and gather the documents you need to support your claim -- including bank and credit card statements showing ...

For more details and to check your claim status, visit EquifaxBreachSettlement.com . If you were affected by the Equifax data breach, you can still claim financial reimbursement for costs you incurred, or time you spent dealing with fraud or identity theft, after January 22, 2022.

Full Answer

What should I do after the Equifax data breach?

What to do if your account is compromised

  • Least sensitive — change your password. If you’re notified that one of your online accounts has been compromised, change your password immediately.
  • Moderately sensitive — notify your bank. If your card payment numbers have been stolen, notify the bank or company that issued the card immediately.
  • Most sensitive — notify Equifax and TransUnion. ...

How to protect yourself from the Equifax data breach?

Your guide to surviving the Equifax data breach

  1. Enroll in Equifax's program (or just move on to step 2) Equifax's identity protection program, Trusted ID, is being offered to anyone who wants to enroll. ...
  2. Check your credit reports. More than three months passed between the time the breach may have started and now. ...
  3. Freeze your credit. ...
  4. Set a fraud alert. ...
  5. Repeat the process for your loved ones. ...

How to submit claim from Equifax data breach?

  • Obtain your free Credit Reports annually from Equifax, Trans Union and Experian at: annualcreditreport.com
  • Dispute any incorrect information on your Credit Reports
  • Shred any personal information before disposal
  • Thoroughly review all bank and credit statements monthly
  • Report Identity Theft immediately at the Federal Trade Commission

When did Equifax announce data breach?

The credit reporting agency, Equifax, announced on Sept. 7 that a hack has impacted the credit histories of up to 143 million Americans. (Amber Ferguson/The Washington Post)

See more

image

Has anyone received money from Equifax?

You filed a claim in the Equifax Data Breach Settlement and chose to receive free, three-bureau (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) credit monitoring from Experian for four years. Implementation of the Settlement was delayed by appeals; however, the Settlement is now effective because appellate courts have affirmed it.

Has Equifax settlement been approved?

Equifax denied any wrongdoing and no judgment or finding of wrongdoing was made. If you are a Class Member, the deadline to file Initial Claims Period claim(s) for free credit monitoring or up to $125 cash payment and other cash reimbursement passed on January 22, 2020. The Settlement is now effective.

How much will each person get from Equifax settlement?

Under the settlement terms, Equifax agreed to set up a fund to provide free credit monitoring and identity theft protection to consumers, as well as provide cash payments to people affected by the breach—up to $20,000 per person.

How much can you get from a data breach settlement?

How much can I receive from the Capital One settlement? Class members can collect up to $25,000 in cash for lost time and out-of-pocket expenditures relating to the breach, including unreimbursed fraud charges, money spent preventing identity theft and fees to professional data security services.

How much is the Equifax settlement?

$425 millionEquifax data breach class action lawsuit settlement updates: On June 3, 2021, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the $425 million Equifax data breach settlement.

What happened to Equifax after the data breach?

In the wake of Equifax's 2017 data breach, which compromised the personal information of roughly 147 million consumers — including names, birthdates and Social Security numbers — the company ended up as the target of multiple lawsuits and reached a settlement in 2019 with the FTC, the Consumer Financial Protection ...

Who qualifies for Equifax settlement?

You are a Settlement Class Member if you are among the approximately 147 million U.S. consumers identified by Equifax whose personal information was impacted by the Equifax Data Breach.

How do I know if I received a settlement check on Facebook?

If you are still not sure whether you are included, you can get free help on this website or by calling the Settlement Administrator at 1-844-799-2417. Please do not contact the Court or Facebook. Facebook will pay $650 million to settle this case.

How much is the Capital One settlement per person?

The settlement allows reimbursement for up to $25,000 in out-of-pocket expenses related to the data breach. This includes money spent preventing identity theft or fraud, unreimbursed fraud charges, miscellaneous expenses, professional fees, and up to 15 hours of lost time at a rate of at least $25 per hour.

Does Equifax sell your information?

We use and sell personal data to nonaffiliated third parties for the following commercial purposes: Consumer credit reporting. Some of our affiliates collect, use, and sell personal data when acting as a consumer reporting agency, as this activity is regulated by the FCRA.

How Much Will Indiana residents get from the Equifax settlement?

approximately $79The Indiana Attorney General will start sending settlement payments on Wednesday to Hoosiers whose data was leaked in a 2017 Equifax breach. More than 236,000 past and current Indiana residents will get approximately $79 as part of a settlement that Indiana reached with the credit company.

How much will I get from Indiana Equifax settlement?

“Each person who filed an eligible claim for restitution at IndianaEquifaxClaims.com will receive approximately $79," a statement from the Attorney General's Office said. "The Office will begin distributing digital and check payments on March 31.

What is the Indiana Equifax settlement?

As part of the settlement, Equifax agreed to pay $19.5 million to the State of Indiana. That money is being directed to consumer restitution payments and costs associated with the settlement. If your personal information was impacted in the data breach, you are eligible for a consumer restitution payment.

Is there a lawsuit against Equifax?

In 2017, hackers broke into Equifax in a breach that exposed the financial information of 147 million Americans. A federal court in 2020 approved a $380 million settlement of class actions lawsuits, with no finding or judgment of wrongdoing made.

When is the deadline to file a claim against Equifax?

The deadline to file a claim for Out-of-Pocket Losses or Time Spent that occurred through January 22, 2020 has passed.

What happens if you are impacted by Equifax?

If you were impacted by the Equifax data breach, you may seek reimbursement for valid Out of Pocket losses or Time Spent (excluding losses of money and time associated with freezing or unfreezing credit reports or purchasing credit monitoring or identity theft protection) incurred during the Extended Claims Period if you have not received reimbursement for the claimed loss through other means.

How much time can you spend on a data breach?

You may be eligible for the following reimbursement cash payments for: Time Spent during the Extended Claims Period recovering from fraud, identity theft, or other misuse of your personal information caused by the data breach up to 20 total hours at $25 per hour.

When is the deadline for Equifax?

If you are a class member, the deadline to file Initial Claims Period claim (s) for free credit monitoring or up to $125 cash payment and other cash reimbursement passed on January 22, 2020.

When is the deadline for credit monitoring in 2024?

January 22, 20 24 (For future losses and time) File a claim for Credit Monitoring Services or Alternative Reimbursement Compensation. The deadline to submit a claim to receive the Free Credit Monitoring Services offered under the Settlement, or Alternative Reimbursement Compensation has passed.

When is the extended claim period for credit monitoring?

You may seek reimbursement for valid Out-of-Pocket Losses or Time Spent (excluding losses of money and time associated with freezing or unfreezing credit reports or purchasing credit monitoring or identity theft protection) incurred during the Extended Claims Period (between January 23, 2020 and January 22, 2024) if you have not received reimbursement for the claimed loss through other means.

Is the Equifax settlement final?

By order of the Court, the Settlement cannot become final until the appeals of the remaining objectors are resolved. In September of 2017, Equifax announced it experienced a data breach, which impacted the personal information of approximately 147 million people.

Facts about the Equifax data breach and settlement

Equifax initially disclosed the data breach September 7, 2017. The company said it discovered the data breach in July 2017.

How can I help protect myself and my identity after a data breach?

In the wake of the Equifax data breach, there are some steps you can take to help protect yourself — or to detect if identity thieves may have targeted you.

When did Equifax breach?

In September 2017 , Equifax announced a breach that exposed the personal data of approximately 147 million people. If your data was impacted, under a legal settlement, you may claim free services and payments.

How long does it take to get a free credit report from Equifax?

You can get six free credit reports from Equifax in a 12-month period, for seven years beginning January 2020. These are in addition to the free reports you’re already entitled to under the law.

Can you request reimbursement for Equifax?

You can request reimbursement if you spent money, for example: For certain Equifax products before the breach. To freeze or unfreeze your credit. For credit monitoring services. Dealing with fraud or identity theft after the breach.

How many hours of time can you claim for a data breach?

To claim reimbursement of more than 10 hours of Time Spent during the Initial Claims Period, you must have also provided reasonable documentation of fraud, identity theft, or other alleged misuse of your personal information fairly traceable to the Data Breach (i.e., letter from IRS or bank or police report).

When is the deadline for credit monitoring?

The deadline for all claims for Credit Monitoring Services was 1/22/2020. If you submitted a valid claim form and elected to enroll in Credit Monitoring Services, you will receive enrollment instructions by email after the Settlement becomes effective.

Did Equifax protect consumers' personal information?

Plaintiffs claimed that Equifax did not adequately protect consumers’ personal information and that Equifax delayed in providing notice of the data breach. The most recent version of the lawsuit, which describes the specific legal claims alleged by the Plaintiffs, is available here.

How much did Equifax pay for the security breach?

The Federal Trade Commission and Equifax reached an agreement at the end of July for Equifax to pay at least $575 million and up to $700 million to compensate those whose personal data was exposed with the breach of the Equifax servers. As part of the settlement, you can file a claim to be compensated for the costs of recovering from the security breach -- including any costs associated with the theft of your identity and freezing and unfreezing your account-- and compensation of unauthorized charges to your banking accounts. The agreement caps payouts at $20,000 per person.

What information was stolen from Equifax?

The data breach of Equifax resulted in hackers accessing personal information on the credit report servers of 147 million consumers, including driver's license information, social security numbers and birthdates.

image
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9