#Equifax data breach settlement scam how to
Virtual learning: How to keep your kids engaged while they’re off from school How to get your stimulus check if you don’t file taxes How to avoid coronavirus stimulus check scams Time is running out to file a claim in Yahoo data breach settlement In all, $300 million of the settlement will go towards credit monitoring services or cash payment. It’s better to proactively go the settlement site itself to file a claim rather than risk clicking a link to a scam site.Įquifax agreed to a $575-700 million settlement with the FTC last week. You should also watch out for any phishing emails claiming to be from the FTC or Equifax. Regardless, if you do decide to file a claim, be sure to double-check the domain of the website you’re in. Anything else is a scam, the FTC said.Ī quick scan through Twitter and Instagram revealed more than a few posts using the settlement to promote tax services or identity protection companies, but we weren’t able to find any scam websites. The ftc.gov/Equifax site is a guide to the claim itself and will direct you to the settlement site. If you were affected by the breach, you can check your eligibility and file a claim at. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) set up a site last week to guide people through the process.
FTC JWhat to look for if you think you’re being scammed To be sure you are going to the legitimate site, you can access it from the Equifax page: /1qDV3xyYSn And anyone who calls and tries to get you to file a claim is almost certainly a scammer,” he added.īeware of fake websites claiming to be the Equifax settlement claims website. You’ll never have to pay to file a claim for these benefits. “To be sure you’re going to the right place, start at the FTC’s page: ftc.gov/Equifax.” Here is his article on the Equifax data breach settlement:Įditor’s note: Becky Rutherford works in information technology at Los Alamos National Laboratory.“Wouldn’t you know it? People may have already started putting up fake websites meant to look like the official Equifax settlement claims website,” wrote the FCC’s Michael Atleson on Monday. Any calls or emails are scams.īrian Krebs’s site “Krebs on Security” is a great resource I highly recommend subscribing to his newsletter to stay up to date on cyber news stories.
You will not receive calls or emails from Equifax about this settlement you must go to the settlement site to register. If you were affected by the breach, you could receive compensation, but be cautious! Make sure that you go to the correct site, and not a spoofed site. If typing the site into your browser bar directly, be careful that you don’t make any typos, or you could end up at the wrong site. I was not able to confirm, but these sites are likely malicious.ĭo not Google search for the link to the Equifax settlement site scammers could potentially use SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to make these scam sites show up at the top of your search results, before legitimate results. Neither site is currently active, but both sites are “parked” and ready to go live.
Note that in one example, breach is spelled “breech” and in the other, they have added an extra “t” to settlement. Suspicious sites bearing similar domain names have already been set up, possibly to try to trick users into handing over their sensitive information “com” has been registered, as has “These are just a few examples that I found, as has been noted by other sources, and there are more out there. I strongly advise you to access the site directly through the FTC’s page or from a link on a trusted, legitimate news site. You can also use this site to check if you were affected by the 2017 data breach, and if you were, use the site to file a claim. The direct link to the Equifax Data Breach page is here. Equifax does not administer the Equifax Data Breach site it is administered by the Settlement Administrator. How can you check if you were affected by the data breach and file? The safest way is to go directly to the FTC’s website on the Equifax data breach settlement and click the “file a claim” button to get started. If you had additional expenses as a result of the breach (and have documentation to prove it), you could file a claim for up to $20,000.
#Equifax data breach settlement scam free
Good news! If you were affected by the 2017 Equifax data breach, you may be entitled to compensation.You can receive free credit monitoring for 10+ years from three credit agencies or up to $125 in compensation instead of the credit monitoring.
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