{"id":15943,"date":"2019-07-30T08:10:07","date_gmt":"2019-07-30T16:10:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/2019\/07\/30\/news-9687\/"},"modified":"2019-07-30T08:10:07","modified_gmt":"2019-07-30T16:10:07","slug":"news-9687","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/2019\/07\/30\/news-9687\/","title":{"rendered":"How to get your Equifax money and stay safe doing it"},"content":{"rendered":"

Credit to Author: David Ruiz| Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2019 15:00:00 +0000<\/strong><\/p>\n

Following the enormous data breach of Equifax<\/a> in 2017\u2014in which roughly 147 million Americans\u2019 suffered the loss of their Social Security numbers, addresses, credit card and driver\u2019s license information, birthdates, and more\u2014the company has agreed to a settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission, in which it will pay at least $650 million. <\/p>\n

Much of that settlement\u2014up to $425 million\u2014is reserved for you, the consumers. Here\u2019s how you can see if you\u2019re eligible for a payment. <\/p>\n

First, you can check if your sensitive data was compromised during the 2017 data breach by going to Equifax\u2019s new settlement website: <\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.equifaxbreachsettlement.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

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It\u2019s important to quickly note here that this website, which does not look like Equifax\u2019s regular website, is a reported improvement from the last time Equifax tried to set up its own response, which, in the immediate aftermath of the 2017 breach, was described as \u201ccompletely broken at best, and little more than a stalling tactic or sham at worst<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Back to that settlement money: By inputting your last name and the last six digits of your Social Security Number (which is too many numbers, we should say), you can find out if you\u2019re eligible for a claim of, at the very least, either 10 years of free credit monitoring or $125 paid through either a check or a pre-paid card. <\/p>\n

You can file a claim at Equifax\u2019s web portal here:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.equifaxbreachsettlement.com\/file-a-claim<\/a><\/p>\n

Depending on how the 2017 data breach affected you, you may be eligible for more payments. <\/p>\n

For example, if you spent time trying to recover from identity theft<\/a> or fraud that stemmed from Equifax\u2019s data breach, you can be paid $25 per hour for each hour you spent on that work. That work includes placing and removing credit freezes and purchasing credit monitoring services. <\/p>\n

Further, if you actually lost money from identity theft or fraud caused by the breach, you can make a claim to be reimbursed for up to $20,000. Documented evidence must be provided. <\/p>\n

Beware the scams<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Another corporate data breach settlement with the US government means another moment for heightened cybersecurity vigilance. <\/p>\n

Equifax\u2019s extremely broad settlement is, if you\u2019ll pardon our stretched metaphor, akin to a dead whale in the open ocean: Sharks are coming. <\/p>\n

As with any major news in America, especially news that affects more than 100 million people, the opportunity for cybercriminal attack is high. For example, after the European Union\u2019s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect, countless company emails<\/a> flooded Americans\u2019 inboxes. Cybercriminals were not far behind, and they sent their own phishing emails that masqueraded as legitimate notices<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The same could happen with the Equifax settlement. <\/p>\n

Remember, there is only one website right now to check if you\u2019re eligible for a claim, and it’s the one we\u2019ve listed above. <\/p>\n

With the breach once again in everyone\u2019s minds, it\u2019s also a good time to remember how to protect yourself from identity theft. Revisit our blog from 2017 that covers various safety precautions<\/a>, including obtaining credit monitoring, refusing to reply to texts and calls from unknown phone numbers, and stepping up your password protocol<\/a> (don\u2019t repeat passwords, make them complex). And for even more in-depth information on identity theft, take a look at this comprehensive article<\/a> in our cybersecurity basics hub.<\/p>\n

Stay safe, everyone. <\/p>\n

The post How to get your Equifax money and stay safe doing it<\/a> appeared first on Malwarebytes Labs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/blog.malwarebytes.com\/feed\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Credit to Author: David Ruiz| Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2019 15:00:00 +0000<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Equifax has been ordered to pay at least $650 million in relation to its enormous 2017 data breach. Users who were affected might be eligible for a claim. But watch out for scams!<\/p>\n

Categories: <\/p>\n