Equifax Data Breach Means Claims In Wisconsin: How To File

MADISON, WI – Wisconsin residents affected by the Equifax data breach of 2017 are entitled to pursue restitution after attorneys general across the U.S. reached a settlement with the company. The credit reporting company has opened an online portal where impacted consumers can file claims online.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul announced this week that a coalition of 50 Attorneys General across the U.S. reached an agreement with Equifax as the result of an investigation into the massive 2017 data breach.

Related Reading

Wisconsin's Settlement Agreement

On September 7, 2017, Equifax, one of the largest consumer reporting agencies in the world, announced a data breach affecting more than 147 million consumers. Breached information included social security numbers, names, dates of birth, addresses, credit card numbers, and in some cases, driver’s license numbers.

The investigation found that Equifax’s failure to maintain a reasonable security system enabled hackers to penetrate its systems, exposing the data of 56 percent of adults in the U.S.; the largest-ever breach of consumer data.

Under the terms of the agreement, Equifax agreed to provide a single Consumer Restitution Fund of up to $425 million—with $300 million dedicated to consumer redress. If the $300 million is exhausted, the Fund can increase by up to an additional $125 million. The company will also offer affected consumers extended credit-monitoring services for a total of 10 years.

Kaul said in a statement. “Under this agreement, Equifax will need to do much more than it did prior to the 2017 data breach to protect data privacy, and Wisconsinites’ data will be more secure as a result.”

What To Do If Impacted By The Equifax Breach

Equifax has a tool so people can check whether they were impacted by the Equifax breach and are eligible for part of the settlement.

Those impacted can file a claim with Equifax on the settlement page.

There is also a portal through the Federal Trade Commission dedicated to the Equifax data breach settlement, where the claims page became active Wednesday, July 24.

How To Protect Your Personal Information

These steps can help protect your information, according to the Federal Trade Commission:

• Get a free credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling 877-322-8228.
• Call the Equifax settlement administrator at 1-833-759-2982.
• Take advantage of any free services being offered as a result of the breach.
• Use two-factor authentication on your online accounts whenever available.
• Consider a credit freeze.
• Monitor your accounts.

With reporting by Elizabeth Janney, Patch