Equifax breach victims can seek compensation or credit monitoring
Large settlement gets preliminary approval in court
If you were affected by the 2017 Equifax data breach, you can now file a claim for a piece of the major settlement.
The credit reporting company has agreed to pay between $575 million and $700 million to settle state and federal investigations related to a the data breach, which exposed the personal information of more than 147 million Americans two years ago.
The settlement, considered the largest ever for a data breach, has received preliminary court approval.
Depending on how you were affected, you could be eligible for several types of compensation. Equifax will pay at least $380.5 million into a consumer restitution fund.
Those affected can get up to 10 years of free credit monitoring of their three credit reports at Experian, Trans Union and Equifax by an independent thirdparty service that will be determined by the court. Or, you can receive $125 if you already have a credit monitoring service and won’t enroll in the free one.
Claims can be filed at www.equifax breachsettlement.com. To see whether you’re eligible, enter your last name and the last six digits of your Social Security number on the site or call the settlement administrator at 833-7592982.
You can file at the website or by mail. To do that, download and print the claim form, fill it out and mail it with any supporting documentation. You also can request that a claim form be mailed to you by calling 833-759-2982 or emailing info@EquifaxBreach Settlement.com.
The deadline to file a claim is Jan. 22. If you want to be excluded from the settlement, you need to send a written request postmarked by Nov. 19.
If you spent time or money dealing with an ID theft issue that occurred after the hack and involved personal data that was exposed by the breach, you can get compensated up to $20,000 per person. You can be reimbursed for the following:
Losses from unauthorized charges on your accounts.
Cost of freezing or unfreezing your credit report.
Cost of credit monitoring. Fees you paid to professionals like an accountant or attorney.
Other expenses like notary fees, document shipping fees and postage, mileage and phone charges.
In some cases, documentation may be requested to show proof of “fraud, identity theft, or other alleged misuse of your personal information fairly traceable to the data breach,” the settlement website notes.
The website says it will take several months or more before credit monitoring services will begin and payments will be made. This will start “after the court enters a final judgment and the settlement becomes final.”
Contributing: Nathan Bomey, Janna Herron, Dalvin Brown, USA TODAY