how to claim money from equifax data breach settlement

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 ...

Full Answer

What you should do after Equifax data breach?

• Everyone should monitor their bank and credit card accounts to spot unauthorized activity. ...
• You should also place a fraud alert with each of the three major CRAs. ...
• You can consider signing up for Equifax’ credit monitoring service. ...
• You may want to take an additional step: placing a security freeze. ...

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 fill out claim for Equifax data breach settlement?

1. Check if you’re eligible. The Equifax data breach was one of the largest in history, with about 56% of Americans affected. ...
2. Start the claim process. If your information has been affected, then you can start the claims process by clicking on the “File a Claim” button.
3. Fill out your information. This step is pretty basic — simply fill out your name, current address, phone number, email and year of birth.
4. Choose between credit monitoring and cash payment. Affected consumers have the opportunity to receive at least four years of credit-monitoring services through Experian.
5. File for time spent. Consumers can submit claims for any time they had to spend dealing with the data breach — $25 per hour, up to 20 hours, ...
6. Claim any losses or reimbursement. Consumers will be able to claim up to $20,000 for any losses or fraud that were the results of the breach or any ...
7. Choose how you want to be paid. Once you’ve selected what claims you want to file, you’ll have to pick a payment option: check or prepaid card.
8. Confirm everything is correct & submit. You’ll be prompted to double check that all your information is correct and certify that all your statements are true.
9. Save your claim number. If the form is processed correctly, you’ll receive a claim number. ...

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. ...

See more

How do I get my settlement from Equifax data breach?

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. Claims are due by January 22, 2024.

What happened to my Equifax settlement?

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.

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 do I know if I qualify for Equifax settlement?

Go to the settlement website and click on "Find out if your information was impacted" to see if you're eligible. Identity restoration services include help dealing with companies, government agencies and credit bureaus. You can use the service even if you never make a claim from this settlement.

How long does a data breach claim take?

In reality, how long a data breach claim takes simply comes down to the circumstances of the case. Some cases could be resolved in a few months, whereas others may end up being pursued for several years.

How do I file a claim with Equifax?

You can file online at www.equifaxbreachsettlement.com or by mail. If by mail, you can download and print the claim form, fill it out and mail it with any supporting documentation. You also can request a claim form be mailed to you by calling 1-833-759-2982 or emailing them at [email protected].

How much was 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.

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.

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 ...

Has Equifax settlement been approved?

The Settlement received final approval from the Court on January 13, 2020. You may review the Final Approval Order and Final Order and Judgment by clicking here. Settlement appeals have been resolved and the Settlement is now effective.

How long does Equifax dispute take?

within 30 daysIf you file a dispute regarding information on your Equifax credit report, you can generally expect to receive the results of the investigation within 30 days. If the information on your credit report is found to be inaccurate or incomplete, your credit report will be updated, generally within about 30 days.

Can I go to Equifax in person?

Equifax Phone number: While Equifax's official customer service phone number is 1-800-846-5279, I found the easiest path to reach a real human is to call this number: 1-866-640-2273. How to reach a real person: Press 4, then press 1.

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 ...

How do I know if I was affected by the Equifax breach?

If you want to check whether your data was exposed, the FTC and official settlement site have an online tool you can use to check if you were part of the Equifax breach. You'll need to enter your last name and last six digits of your Social Security number to see if your data was part of the hack.

Where is my Yahoo settlement check?

If you are still not sure whether you are a Settlement Class Member, you may go to the Contact page of this Settlement Website or call the Settlement Administrator toll free number at 844-702-2788, to see if you are a Settlement Class Member.

What did Equifax do after the breach?

Specifically, he says, Equifax's most important post-breach initiatives included: Improving systems monitoring; Enhancing the security team's communication with the C-suite; Changing the corporate culture by getting employees to recognize the importance of cybersecurity.

Are you eligible?

Hackers were able to get access to a multitude of consumers’ private information, including names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, credit card numbers and driver’s license numbers.

What does the claim cover?

There are four types of relief you can claim from Equifax under the terms of the settlement:

What happens if you don’t file a claim?

Under the terms of the settlement, there are services that you are entitled to — even if you don’t file an official claim, the FTC says.

How long can you claim free credit monitoring?

Submitting a claim can be “overwhelming,” so take it slow, Lacey says. At the very least, you should claim the free credit monitoring for up to 10 years. “There should be no reason whatsoever not to file, especially the basic claim — the credit monitoring — or if you have credit monitoring, the claim for $125,” says Jack Gillis, executive director of the Consumer Federation of America. This is probably what most consumers will file for, Gillis adds.

How much can you get if your Equifax account was compromised?

If your information was compromised during the massive 2017 Equifax data breach, you could be entitled to up to $20,000.

How much can you claim for a credit breach?

Monetary loss: Consumers will be able to claim up to $20,000 for any losses or fraud that were the results of the breach or any out-of-pocket expenses they may have incurred, such as paying to freeze and unfreeze their credit reports. You’ll need to attach supporting documents, such as receipts, to show how much money you spent.

What happens if you don't have good records?

“If you don’t have good records, you may not be able to see the full benefit of what the settlement is providing ,” Lacey says.

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.

Can discussion threads be closed?

We delete comments that violate our policy, which we encourage you to read. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion.

What happened to the Social Security numbers in 2017?

In 2017, the personal information of over 145 million Americans was exposed by one of the largest data breaches in recent times. The breach occurred at Equifax, one of the three credit reporting bureaus entrusted with some of the most sensitive personal data, including Social Security Numbers. If you are one of the individuals impacted by the breach (hint: you probably were), you can now file a claim as part of a settlement that Equifax is finalizing to resolve claims.

How much can you get for a breach of contract?

If you suffered losses as a result of the breach and can provide documentation of your out-of-pocket costs, you may be eligible for cash payments up to $20,000.

Can you file a claim if your personal information was compromised by the breach?

You are eligible to file a claim if your personal information was compromised by the data breach. There is a dedicated page - https://www.equifaxbreachsettlement.com/ - with important information about the proposed settlement.

What about out-of-pocket costs?

The limit is $20,000 per person , and you’ll have to provide documentation. Those expenses can include credit monitoring after the breach, legal expenses, postage, notaries and more.

Is there a filing deadline?

Yes, you have until Jan. 22, 2020, to file for any of these remedies. You can apply online, print out an application form and mail it, or request that a form be mailed to you.