Settlement FAQs

how do i get the equifax data breach settlement

by Laron Koelpin I Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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  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 ...

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. Claims are due by January 22, 2024. For more details, visit EquifaxBreachSettlement.com .

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 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

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 take advantage of the Equifax data breach settlement?

  • Get a free credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling 877-322-8228.
  • Call the Equifax Settlement Administrator at 1-833-759-2982.
  • Take advantage of any free services being offered as a result of the breach.
  • Use two-factor authentication on your online accounts whenever available.
  • Consider a credit freeze.

See more

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What happened to the Equifax data breach settlement?

Court Approves Equifax Breach Settlement: Money for Some, Free Credit Monitoring for All. Equifax will pay up to $425 million in restitution to those directly impacted by the massive data breach of the credit bureau in 2017. A federal court gave final approval to the class-action lawsuit settlement in mid-January.

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.

Who qualifies for the 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 check the status of my Equifax settlement?

Status of financial reimbursement 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.

Did anyone get paid for Equifax breach?

After a data breach in 2017 exposed personal data of more than 147 million consumers, including in some cases Social Security and driver's license numbers, credit bureau Equifax agreed to pay hundreds of millions in compensation to help affected consumers.

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 do I join the Capital One lawsuit?

Claims must be filed online or mailed in by September 30, 2022. You will need the Unique ID and PIN included in the notice Capital One sent via mail or email. If you haven't received a notice, or misplaced yours, you can call a Settlement Administrator at 1-855-604-1811 for assistance.

How do I file a lawsuit against Equifax?

An Equifax credit report dispute can be done in the following ways: Fill out the Equifax online dispute form. Call the toll-free dispute phone number listed below. Write a dispute letter and mail it to the address below.

How do I know if Equifax breach affected me?

Equifax has created a website where you can find out if you have been affected by the breach. The website will ask you for the last six digits of your social security number and your last name, and then will tell you if you have been affected. You can also call 1-833-759-2982.

Do you get paid for data breaches?

You also can file a claim for the time you spent recovering from identity theft or fraud between January 23, 2020, and January 22, 2024. You can be compensated up to $25 per hour up to 20 hours. There are limited funds available so your claim may be reduced.

How much is the Equifax data breach settlement?

$425 millionOn June 3, 2021, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the $425 million Equifax data breach settlement.

How much can you expect from a class action lawsuit?

A class action usually ends in a settlement as opposed to going to trial. Settlements in recent years have averaged $56.5 million.

How much will I get from the Bank of America lawsuit?

What does the Settlement provide? Bank of America has agreed to establish a Settlement Fund of $27.5 million from which Settlement Class Members will receive payments or Account credits. The amount of such payments or Account credits cannot be determined at this time.

How are class action settlements divided?

Class action lawsuit settlements are not divided evenly. Some plaintiffs will be awarded a larger percent while others receive smaller settlements. There are legitimate reasons for class members receiving smaller payouts.

Are class action settlements worth it?

In general, yes – class action lawsuits are worth it. For Class Members who are able to recover benefits from a class action settlement, all it takes is filling out a claim form and potentially providing documentation. This can allow them to recover up to thousands of dollars in compensation.

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.

How much did Equifax pay for the data breach?

As part of its $700 million settlement with the commission, Equifax set aside more than $500 million to compensate the millions of victims of the data breach.

How much money can you claim for identity theft?

If you were the victim of identity theft and it cost you a significant amount of money, it makes sense to gather the receipts and other supporting documents required for a claim that approaches the $20,000 individual limit.

How to find out if your Social Security number was exposed?

Step 1: Use this link to access the claim process . Then scroll down to "Find Out if Your Information Was Impacted" and click on that link. After entering your last name and the last six digits of your Social Security number, you'll instantly get an answer about whether your data was exposed and you're eligible to make a claim.

Is Equifax doing credit monitoring?

For consumers skeptical about accepting the credit monitoring, Lacey explains, "it’s not Equifax doing the work; it’s their competitors doing it on their behalf."

Can you report credit monitoring expenses?

In a Monday press conference, the FTC announced that consumers would be able to report some credit monitoring expenses and the time they spent resolving issues raised by the breach without having to submit receipts or other records.

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 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.

What is the Equifax data breach?

In September of 2017, Equifax announced a data breach that exposed the personal information of 147 million people. The company has agreed to a global settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and 50 U.S. states and territories.

How do you file a claim?

You can go to the settlement website to make a claim, or link to it from the FTC page on the settlement.

When do you need to respond?

Your deadline to opt-out is November 19, and your deadline to file a claim based on this settlement is January 22. ( from the CNN article on the issue)

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.

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