- Use the official online tool you can use to check if you were part of the Equifax breach.
- Enter your last name and last six digits of your social security number to see if your data was part of the hack.
- 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.
- You can mail your claim or have a claim form mailed to you, if you rather not use the site.
- 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?
- Check if you’re eligible. The Equifax data breach was one of the largest in history, with about 56% of Americans affected. ...
- 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.
- Fill out your information. This step is pretty basic — simply fill out your name, current address, phone number, email and year of birth.
- Choose between credit monitoring and cash payment. Affected consumers have the opportunity to receive at least four years of credit-monitoring services through Experian.
- 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, ...
- 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 ...
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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. ...
- Check your credit reports. More than three months passed between the time the breach may have started and now. ...
- Freeze your credit. ...
- Set a fraud alert. ...
- 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.
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 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 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.
Did anyone get money from Equifax?
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 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 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 ...
What happened to the Equifax lawsuit?
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 can you get from a data breach 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. The company also has to pay government fines and legal fees.
How much is the Equifax settlement per person?
Individual consumers who were wronged were supposed to be able to claim $125 each from the settlement—until, that is, the FTC and Equifax remembered the wronged were still 144 million strong and the settlement fund didn't have enough cash.
How much can individuals sue companies for in the event of a data breach?
To date, however, California is the only state with a private cause of action for breach of its data privacy statute. The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) offers statutory damages between $100 and $750 per consumer per incident or actual damages, whichever is greater.
How much is the Equifax settlement per person?
Individual consumers who were wronged were supposed to be able to claim $125 each from the settlement—until, that is, the FTC and Equifax remembered the wronged were still 144 million strong and the settlement fund didn't have enough cash.
How much can you get from a data breach 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. The company also has to pay government fines and legal fees.
What happened to the Equifax lawsuit?
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.
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 ...
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.
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 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 long do you have to keep your maiden name on your credit report?
To get the cash, you must certify that you have credit monitoring and will keep it for six months.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
