Secure the bag: See if you're eligble for Equifax Breach Settlement

CNET ⁠—If you were among the 147 million people whose data was exposed in the major Equifax data breach in 2017, you now see if you are eligible to submit a claim and then file one to recover money you spent or lost as a result of the hack. The Federal Trade Commission said this week that Equifax has agreed to pay at least $575 million and up to $700 million to help compensate victims of hackers who stole personal data from Equifax servers. Payments as part of the settlement can cover the costs to recover from the security breach of the free credit report company -- including recovering from the theft of your identity -- and unauthorized charges to your account. You can also submit a claim to cover the cost of protecting yourself from identity theft, following the Equifax data breach. 

And even if you weren't part of the breach and don't file a claim, you can get free credit reports for seven years.

The breach resulted in hackers stealing Social Security numbers, addresses, credit card and driver's license information, birthdates and other personal data stored on Equifax's servers. As part of its investigation, the FTC alleged that the free credit bureau failed to take reasonable steps to secure its network. Taking part in the Equifax settlement isn't completely straightforward. 

To get started, you can check if you and your information were exposed as part of the breach. Then, if you were, gather documents related to the hack that show your expenses and losses. And finally, submit your claim for compensation. You have until January 22, 2020 to file.

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This Is The Official Settlement Website For The Equifax Data Breach Settlement.

Source:  Equifax breach: See if you’re eligible, how to file a claim and see how much you’ll get