Millions In PA Exposed In Equifax Data Breach: How To File Claims

Millions of Pennsylvanians are among those eligible for restitution from the $700 million settlement over the Equifax security breach. The credit reporting company has opened an online portal where impacted consumers can file claims online.

A multi-state investigation into what is one of the largest breaches ever of consumer data showed that the sensitive information of an estimated 56 percent of adults was compromised.

"Equifax failed in its fundamental responsibility to safeguard consumers’ sensitive financial information,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a statement after the settlement was announced. “Equifax knew that there were serious flaws in their system, but still they did not take appropriate steps to fix it. They left their system vulnerable to the biggest data breach in history and the financial futures of millions of Americans were put at risk—and it was entirely preventable.”

Investigators found that Equifax failed to patch a vulnerability in its security monitoring system that went undetected for 76 days in 2017. Social Security numbers, names, dates of birth, addresses, credit card numbers and in some cases, driver's license numbers, were included in the breached data, which officials said impacted more than 147 million people.

Equifax agreed to pay a total of $175 million to states that were part of the suit, including $7.3 million for Pennsylvania. An additional $425 million was set aside for individual customer restitution.

“I’m proud to stand with my colleague Attorneys General in announcing this historic settlement,” Shapiro said. “Together, we are holding Equifax accountable for their misconduct, delivering relief for affected consumers, and taking concrete steps to prevent this from happening again.”

These are some of the services Equifax will offer to those affected as part of the restitution plan, according to the settlement agreement:

• Free credit-monitoring services for 10 years to those impacted. Those who already have credit-monitoring may apply for a $125 credit.
• Cash payments up to $20,000.
• Seven years of identity-restoration services.

The settlement outlines measures Equifax must take to protect personal data, including weekly security checks and reports as well as studying ways to reduce reliance on Social Security numbers. It must also handle the millions of claims filed by affected customers.

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