Settlement FAQs

is the equifax settlement a scam to get more information

by Humberto Swaniawski DDS Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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If you receive any emails regarding an Equifax Data Breach Settlement asking for payment information, it’s a phishing scam and should be ignored. You will need to have received the email to take advantage of this offer, as there’s a code within each one that grants you access to the special credit monitoring settlement.

You must use the activation code by June 27. — If any call or correspondence via text or email says you have to pay anything, it's 100 percent a scam. This service is free for you. You do not need to provide any payment information to enroll, and you do not need to cancel the service when it ends.Feb 11, 2022

Full Answer

Does Equifax owe me money?

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - It’s been two years since the Equifax data breach and now they may owe you money. Depending on how involved you got after initial word of the Equifax breach, financial advisor Nancy Anderson says you could qualify for even more than the $125 dollar minimum, even without receipts.

When will Equifax pay settlement?

Settlement benefits for eligible time spent and out-of-pocket losses are likely to begin issuing in fall 2022. The Equifax Data Breach Settlement website will provide updates. If you still have your claim number, you can enter it on the website and check the status of your claim.

Is Equifax Legit and safe?

Yes, having worked for them, Equifax is a legitimate company and safely handles personal information. They are the oldest of the 3 US credit unions founded in 1899. TransUnion and Experian are the others and serve the same role. Can you really make $1,500 to $2,000 a week driving for DoorDash?

Does Equifax Own Credit Karma?

The scores and credit report information on Credit Karma come from TransUnion and Equifax, two of the three major credit bureaus. Credit Karma compiles its own VantageScore based on that information. Your Credit Karma score should be the same or close to your FICO score, which is what any prospective lender will probably check.

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Did Equifax pay settlements?

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. The settlement includes up to $425 million to help people affected by the data breach.”

How much will Equifax settlement be?

$425 millionEquifax 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.

Is the Equifax data breach settlement?

Equifax data breach settlement. In 2017, Equifax announced a breach that exposed the personal data of approximately 147 million people. The legal settlement is now final. Here's how you can use the services provided through the settlement to protect and monitor your credit.

What is the status of the Equifax lawsuit?

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.

Will Equifax pay $125?

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.

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 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 do I know if I was part of Equifax breach?

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 ...

Can I trust Equifax?

Trusted: Equifax is one of the major credit bureaus and has a highly regarded reputation.

How do I check my Equifax claim?

You can also log into your myEquifax account and view your status by clicking the “check status of a dispute” button. If you are checking your status by mail or phone, please make sure you have the confirmation number that was provided to you when you submitted your dispute.

Are Experian and Equifax the same?

Equifax: An Overview. Experian and Equifax are the two largest credit bureaus in the U.S. Both companies collect and research credit information of individuals and rate the overall ability to pay back a debt. Credit bureaus like Experian and Equifax provide the information they gather to creditors for a fee.

Has anyone received money from Equifax?

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 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 do I get my money from Equifax breach?

To get free credit monitoring or a cash payment (or both), you must submit a claim: online at EquifaxBreachSettlement.com, or. through the mail. (Send your claim to Equifax Data Breach Settlement Administrator, c/o JND Legal Administration, P.O. Box 91318, Seattle, WA 98111-9418).

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.

Claim

Equifax data breach settlement emails offering a free membership for Experian IdentityWorks are legitimate.

Origin

In late January 2022, Google users looked to Reddit and elsewhere to find out if an email for the status of the Equifax data breach settlement was a “scam or legit,” as readers often do after receiving such notices.

How much did Equifax pay for data breach?

It's been mere days since credit-reporting firm Equifax agreed to pay up to $700 million to settle claims over a massive 2017 data breach and already scammers are trying to exploit the deal to fraudulently get their hands on your personal information.

How to figure out if you are a settlement claimant?

On the settlement website, you can figure out whether you're one of the eligible claimants. Enter your last name and last six digits of your Social Security number in a website operated by the settlement administrator (not Equifax). If told your personal information was affected by the data theft, then you can file a claim.

What is the deadline for filing your claim?

The deadline to file claims is Jan. 22, 2020, for most benefits, and you won't receive anything until the settlement administrator gets the go-ahead from a court — that would be Jan. 23, 2020, at the earliest.

How to make sure you're not handing over sensitive financial information to a fake website?

To make sure you're not handing over sensitive financial information to a fake website, start your claims process on the FTC's Equifax page at ftc.gov/Equifax. The federal agency noted that consumers never have to pay a fee to claim benefits from the settlement and said anyone who calls to urge you to file a claim is most certainly a con artist.

How much can you claim for cyber theft?

People who were harmed in the cybertheft can also claim as much as $20,000 in cash reimbursement for expenses related to the breach. Those include fees to freeze or unfreeze credit reports, as well as for credit-monitoring services; losses from unauthorized charges to accounts; and any payments to lawyers and or accountants.

How long can you claim for identity theft?

You can make a claim for up to 20 hours of time spent dealing with the breach. The good news here is that backing documents aren't required, and you could see compensation for time you spend trying to recover from identity theft (or avoid it in the first place) of $25 an hour (up a maximum of 10 hours -- more than that and you will need documents backing up your additional time spent). You must certify that you are being truthful.

How long does Experian monitor credit?

Consumers impacted by the data breach are entitled to up to 10 years of free monitoring of their credit reports. You can also sign up for at least four years of monitoring services provided by Experian at no cost, or if you already have credit monitoring going, you can file to be compensated for up to $125 in cash.

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 people have been stolen by Equifax?

Exit Full Screen. UPDATE: Equifax said hackers may have stolen the information of 2.5 million more people than initially estimated. The Equifax breach might have given scammers a treasure trove of personal details about you that they can use in all sorts of ways to steal your identity, money and make your life miserable.

What to watch out for when calling Equifax?

Here are five things to watch out for: 1. Equifax phone scams. You may receive a call that says "this is Equifax calling to verify your account information.". On its blog, the Federal Trade Commission recently warned consumers that Equifax will never call you out of the blue. "It's a scam," the FTC said.

What credit bureaus freeze credit?

Consumer advocates suggest that you file a request to freeze your credit with each credit bureau – Experian, Equifax and TransUnion – to keep criminals from opening accounts or credit cards in your name.

Why do scammers spoof numbers?

Scammers can spoof numbers to help make it seem as if a trusted caller is calling you. 2. Another round of fake IRS calls. Fraudsters may use the information from the Equifax hack to make it seem that the call you receive from the fake IRS guy is real.

How many phishing websites were created after Equifax security breach?

A day after the breach and launch of the legitimate help website, scammers had created 194 phishing websites that shared similar addresses with equifaxsecurity2017.com

What to do if you get a letter from a collection agency?

If you get a letter from a collection agency, don't just dismiss it, Levin said. Ask for a proof of claim so you can find out whether the debt is real or a sign that you've been victimized by identity theft.

Does Equifax collect information?

Equifax "collects enormous amounts of information about each and every one of us. ... In this case, you're talking about everything you would need to commit every kind of identity theft known to humanity," he said.

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