Getting compensation from the Equifax data breach

Equifax announced that their data was breached from mid-May through July 2017. The breach was discovered on July 29. It is estimated that 145 million consumers were affected. The credit reporting company this week agreed to pay $700 million for claims tied to the hack, which occurred after Equifax botched a software update, and up to $425 million of the total can be claimed directly by consumers. Not sure if your information was exposed? Use this website to see if you’re eligible: https://eligibility.equifaxbreachsettlement.com/en/eligibility

Terms of the settlement:

Free Credit Monitoring and Identity Theft Protection Services Up to 10 years of free credit monitoring OR $125 if you decide not to  enroll because you already have credit monitoring. The free credit monitoring includes: At least four years of free monitoring of your credit report at all three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) and $1,000,000 of identity  theft insurance. Up to six more years of free monitoring of your Equifax credit report. If you were a minor in May 2017, you are eligible for a total of 18 years of free credit monitoring. Cash Payments (capped at $20,000 per person) For expenses you paid as a result of the breach, like: Losses from unauthorized charges to your accounts The cost of freezing or unfreezing your credit report The 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 For the time you spent dealing with the breach. You can be compensated $25 per hour up to 20 hours. If you submit a claim for 10 hours or less, you must describe the actions you took and the time you spent doing those things. If you claim more than 10 hours, you must describe the actions you took AND provide documents that show identity theft, fraud, or other misuse of your information. For the cost of Equifax credit monitoring and related services you had between September 7, 2016, and September 7, 2017, capped at 25 p ercent of the total amount you paid. Even if you do not file a claim, you can get: Free Credit Reports for All U.S. Consumers Starting in 2020, all U.S. consumers can get 6 free credit reports per year for 7 years from the Equifax website. That’s in addition to the one free Equifax report (plus your Experian and TransUnion reports) you can get at AnnualCreditReport.com. Sign up for email updates to get a reminder in early 2020. More information can be found here: https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/cases-proceedings/refunds/equifax-data-breach-settlement Make sure to check on your credit profile and stay protected!