Consumer Alert
Equifax Data Breach Settlement: What You Should Know
In September of 2017, Equifax announced a data breach that exposed the personal information of 147 million people. Under a settlement filed today, Equifax agreed to spend up to $425 million to help people affected by the data breach. If you were affected by the Equifax breach, you can't file a claim just yet. That's coming. But you can sign up for FTC email alerts about the settlement at ftc.gov/Equifax.
(Not sure that you were affected? The breach claims site will have a tool to let you check. Sign up for an FTC email update to find out when that tool is up and running.)
Here’s what you need to know about the settlement.
Benefits Available To You
If you were affected by the breach, you may be eligible for benefits.
1. Free Credit Monitoring or Cash Payment
You can get at least 4 years of free credit monitoring of your credit report at all three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). On top of that, you can get up to 6 more years of free credit monitoring of your Equifax credit report. That’s a total of 10 years of free credit monitoring. (Minors affected by the breach are eligible for even more free credit monitoring.)
If you have credit monitoring that will continue for at least 6 months and you decide not to enroll in the free credit monitoring offered in the settlement, you may be eligible for a cash payment. The amount you’d get will depend on the number of claims filed.
2. Reimbursement for Your Time and Other Cash Payments
You may be eligible for reimbursement and cash payments up to $20,000 for:
- time you spent protecting your identity or recovering from identity theft, up to 20 hours at $25 per hour
- money you spent protecting your identity or recovering from identity theft, like the cost of freezing or unfreezing your credit report or unauthorized charges to your accounts
- up to 25% of the cost of Equifax credit monitoring or identity protection products you bought between September 7, 2016 and September 7, 2017
3. Free Identity Restoration Services
You are eligible for free identity restoration services for at least 7 years that you can use if someone steals your identity or you experience fraud.
Next Steps
The claims process will start after court approval. To learn more about the settlement, go to ftc.gov/Equifax. We’ll update that page when there’s new information.
You can also sign up to get FTC email updates about this settlement.
If you were affected by the breach, you may also receive an email notification after the court approves the settlement. The notification will provide more information about the settlement, the benefits available to people impacted, and how to request the services offered under the settlement.
This blog post was updated on August 1, 2019.
Search Terms
In reply to I was one of those people by MARKVC
If you were affected by the breach, you can file a claim for up to 10 years of free credit monitoring. Go to www.FTC.gov/Equifax to read about what is included in the free credit monitoring.
In reply to What is the timeframe for by 1love
The settlement administrator will not send out any benefits until they are allowed to do so by the court, which will be January 23, 2020, at the earliest.
In reply to How do I find out if I was by cuv2618
You can use this look-up tool to see if you were affected.
In reply to If I was affected by the by EQUIFAX_SUX
Go to www.FTC.gov/Equifax to learn about the other benefits available under the settlement.
In reply to If I purchased or had credit by Impacted person
The Equifax breach was announced in September 2017. Go to www.FTC.gov/Equifax to find out if your information was exposed in the Equifax breach, and learn about the benefits a person whose information was exposed an claim.
In reply to Why are you not informing by Enrique
This blog names the FTC information page: www.FTC.gov/Equifax. Go there for:
In reply to I filed for credit monitoring by LK
Frequently Asked Question #19 on the settlement website www.EquifaxBreachSettlement.com says if you make a valid claim for credit monitoring services, the Settlement Administrator will send you information about how to activate your credit monitoring after the settlement is final. The Settlement Administrator will send you an activation code and link to the Experian website where you can enroll and activate your credit monitoring services. The settlement will be final on January 23, 2020 at the earliest.
In reply to If I select the free credit by srob
Frequently Asked Question #19 on the settlement website www.EquifaxBreachSettlement.com says if you make a valid claim for credit monitoring services, the Settlement Administrator will send you information about how to activate your credit monitoring after the settlement is final. The Settlement Administrator will send you an activation code and link to the Experian website where you can enroll and activate your credit monitoring services. The settlement will be final on January 23, 2020 at the earliest.
In reply to Once we have applied for the by Nisee
The settlement administrator will not send out any benefits until the court allows it. That will be on January 23, 2020, at the earliest. The FTC has information and updates at www.FTC.gov/Equifax.
In reply to I chose a cash payment in by bizzlezx10r
The settlement administrator will not send out any benefits until the court allows it. That will be on January 23, 2020, at the earliest. The FTC has information and updates at www.FTC.gov/Equifax.
In reply to I received an email from by little lady
If you were affected by the breach, you may get an email letting you know that you''re eligible to apply for benefits. The email provides details about the settlement. If you aren't sure the email is legitimate, go to the www.EquifaxBreachSettlement.com to see if you are affected by the breach. You can file a claim at that site.
If you filed a claim before August 2, 2019, and asked for the alternative compensation of up to $125, you will get an email saying you have to take steps to get your benefits. Follow the instructions in the email. You must amend or verify your claim before October 15, 2019, or your claim will be denied.
In reply to Equifax contacted me as a by Art Dave
FAQ # 10 on the settlement website says that people who have credit monitoring, and who don't claim the free credit monitoring, can file a claim for up to $125. When they file a claim, they have to certify that they have credit monitoring, give the company name, and certify that they'll keep the services for at least six months.
In reply to Hi - I'm curious about the by Tammy
In reply to I have already filed a Claim by Bill
If you filed a claim before August 2, 2019, and asked for a cash payment of up to $125, you'll get an email that says you have to take steps to get your benefits. If you want benefits, follow the instructions in the email. You must:
You must verify your credit monitoring service or amend your claim before October 15, 2019, or your claim may be denied.
Get more information about the settlement at www.FTC.gov/Equifax or www.EquifaxBreachSettlement.com.
In reply to Why are the rules of the by Golden Mesa
Many people filed claims for cash payments instead of free credit monitoring, which means each person will get less than $125. Because of that, the settlement administrator is sending email to the people who filed claims for cash payments. It will ask each person to name their credit monitoring service and give them a choice to change their claim from cash payment to free credit monitoring. This FTC blog has more details.
There there is money available under the settlement to reimburse people for what they paid out of pocket to recover from the breach. You could file a claim for money you paid to freeze your credit after the breach, or to hire someone to help you deal with identity theft. The settlement has a larger pool of money for just those people. If you’re one of them, use your documents to submit your claim.
In reply to How do I optout exactly? by Hello
The settlement website (www.EquifaxBreachSettlement.com) has questions and answers about how to exclude yourself from the settlement.
In reply to how soon do you issue checks? by jdubb
The settlement administrator will not send out any benefits until they are allowed to do so by the court, which will be January 23, 2020, at the earliest. Go to www.FTC.gov/Equifax for more information about the settlement.