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  • 2022-01-31 (xsd:date)
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  • Is the Equifax Data Breach Settlement Email Legit? (en)
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  • In late January 2022, Google users looked to Reddit and elsewhere to find out if an email for the status of the Equifax data breach settlement was a scam or legit, as readers often do after receiving such notices. The email had the subject line, Equifax Data Breach Settlement (Credit Monitoring Instructions and Activation Code), and linked to the website, experianidworks.com/equifaxsettlement. It promised a free four-year membership for the credit monitoring service Experian IdentityWorks. This was a legitimate notice for a data breach settlement for Equifax. Readers might remember making a claim in the settlement back in July 2019. Users who opted to receive credit monitoring instead of a check were sent activation codes in the new email for Experian IdentityWorks. The official website for the settlement was equifaxbreachsettlement.com. The official settlement website documented the fact that in September 2017, Equifax was the victim of a criminal cyberattack, giving the attackers unauthorized access to the personal information of approximately 147 million U.S. consumers. This included people’s names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and in some instances driver’s license numbers, credit card numbers, or other personal information. In the end, both sides of the legal battle agreed to a settlement after a lengthy mediation process overseen by a retired federal judge. That settlement allowed claimants to choose to receive a check or credit monitoring. Anyone who chose to receive a check might eventually receive an amount much smaller than expected, as the alternative compensation of up to $125 would likely will be substantially lowered to a small percentage of what was expected. The email that began to be sent in late January 2022 provided a status update on the Equifax data breach settlement. According to a copy of the email that we reviewed, it read as follows: The email also broke down exactly what is included in the four-year membership to the credit monitoring service known as Experian IdentityWorks: To reach the administrator of the Equifax data breach settlement or to inquire about its status, the email said to call 1-833-759-2982. Meanwhile, any questions about Experian IdentityWorks can be directed to the phone number 1-877-251-5822. We previously reported on other legal matters involving settlements for National Grid and a Plaid Inc. (en)
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