Equifax breach: How to claim $ 125 in an FTC settlement

If your personal data has been exposed in 2017 data breach at Equifaxyou can now file a claim to recover the money spent or lost in the violation. As part of the settlement, you may file a request for recovery of the money you spent to protect yourself from theft of identity and credit monitoring as a result of the Equifax data breach. . And if you have registered credit monitoringyou can make a claim of $ 125 to cover this expense. Note that the FTC said this week that because of the overwhelming response from the public to the regulation, the amount of money you get coverage monitoring can be a lot less than $ 125.

the data breach Equifax allowed hackers to access personal information on 147 million consumer credit reporting servers, including information on driver's licenses, social security numbers, and birth dates.

The Federal Trade Commission and Equifax reached an agreement in late July that Equifax will pay at least $ 575 million and up to $ 700 million. to indemnify those whose personal data has been exposed with the violation of the Equifax servers. As part of the settlement, you can claim compensation for the security breach charges, including all costs badociated with stealing your identity and freezing and unlocking your account, as well as any other charges. compensation for unauthorized charges on your part. Bank accounts. The agreement caps payments at $ 20,000 per person.

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You can also submit a claim to cover the cost of identity theft protection, as a result of the data breach by Equifax. You can file multiple applications, and if you are already registered for credit monitoring, you can file a $ 125 claim instead.

To start submitting a claim, check if your information was exposed as part of the data breach. Then, if your personal information was part of the hacking, collect the documents and files that corroborate your claim and indicate your expenses and losses related to hacking. Finally, submit your claim for your losses and other expenses. You have until January 22, 2020 to file. The FTC has stated that it is looking for dummy websites for the settlement, so check that you are using the actual Equifax settlement site before you start filing your claim.

How to File a Claim for the Equifax Violation Settlement

1. Use the official online tool that you can use to check if you are part of the Equifax breach.

2 Enter your last name and the last six digits of your Social Security number to see if your data is part of the hack.

3 If you and your data are part of the violation, go to the Equifax Data Breach Settlement website to file a claim to recover money.

4 You can send your application by mail or an application form if you prefer not to use the site.

5 To complete your application, select the benefits to which you are entitled and collect the necessary documents to support your claim – including credit card and credit card statements showing unauthorized charges, freezing and unblocking costs. account and fees paid to professionals such as accountants and third parties. lawyers to help with the theft.

How can I deposit for a cash payment of $ 125

If you have registered for a credit monitoring service as a result of the violation, you have the right to request a cash payment of $ 125. Use the same form to submit your application. And asking for the $ 125 does not prevent you from applying for compensation for other expenses and financial losses.

However, the FTC warns that the amount received by each person can be well under $ 125, because of the huge response to the regulation, and recommends instead to choose the 10 years of free credit monitoring.