You still want $ 125 from Equifax? Consumers are facing another obstacle.

At first, consumers whose personal information had been compromised in the massive attack on Equifax's data thought they would receive at least $ 125.

Then the company said the $ 700 million settlement for the 147 million consumers affected was not enough. Rather than touching pennies on the dollar, the Federal Trade Commission has recommended consumers instead to accept a free credit monitoring offer.

But for consumers who still want money, there is a new hurdle.

According to e-mails sent to hundreds of thousands of victims over the weekend, consumers must now prove "that their surveillance or credit protection system was in place and that this surveillance would be maintained for at least six months from the date of your claim. "

So, if you do not change your application with evidence that you have hired a credit monitoring company, you can say goodbye to this cash settlement.

Consumers have until October 15 to act or their claims will be rejected.

If you do not have evidence, you also have until October 15 to amend your claim in order to accept free credit monitoring, which the Equifax and the Federal Trade Commission urge consumers to do. : Give up their quest for money and replace instead select free credit monitoring because they think that there will not be enough money to go around.

"Based on the number of potentially valid claims that have been submitted to date, payments for these benefits will be significantly reduced and will be distributed on a proportional basis if the settlement becomes final," says the email. "Depending on the number of valid claims filed, the amount you receive as a replacement indemnity may represent a small percentage of your original claim."

So, if you want to try money or free credit monitoring, you have to take a step further.

You can log in to the Equifax settlement site to modify your request. The email you received included a claim number, make sure you have it on hand.

Your other option is to send a letter to the Claims Administrator with the details of your case. You may send, along with your claim number and address, to Equifax Data Breach Settlement, c / o JND Legal Administration, PO Box 91318, Seattle, WA 98111-9418.

Have you been bamboo? Reach Karin Price Mueller to [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @KPMueller. Find Bamboozled on Facebook. Mueller is also the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Stay informed and sign up for NJMoneyHelp.comof the weekly electronic newsletter.