UPDATE August 2, 2022: The US Federal Trade Charge has warned consumers that, delinquent to the sopranino number of claims made for a cash in payout regarding the Equifax data breach, the actual value that bequeath be remunerated out power be "far little" than the primitively-stated $125. You can scan the FTC's chuck-full command here.

Our original web log follows below:

Following the large data breach of Equifax in 2022—in which rough 147 meg Americans' suffered the loss of their Social Security numbers, addresses, credit card and driver's license information, birthdates, and more—the company has agreed to a settlement with the US Federal Trade Perpetration, in which it volition pay at least $650 cardinal.

More of that settlement—adequate to $425 million—is reserved for you, the consumers. Here's how you can see if you'ray in line for a payment.

First, you can check if your sensitive information was compromised during the 2022 data breach by sledding to Equifax's new settlement website:

https://web.equifaxbreachsettlement.com/

Screen capture of Equifax's data breach settlement website

It's important to quickly mention present that this site, which does not look like Equifax's regular website, is a reported improvement from the last time Equifax tried to set in the lead its own response, which, in the immediate aftermath of the 2022 offend, was described as "completely broken at best, and little much than a stalling tactic or sham at mop up."

Back to that liquidation money: By inputting your family name and the last six digits of your Social Security number (which is too many numbers, we should say), you can see if you're in line for a claim of, at the very least, either 10 years of free credit monitoring or $125 paid through either a check operating room a pre-paid card.

You can Indian file a claim at Equifax's web portal site here:

https://www.equifaxbreachsettlement.com/file-a-claim

Contingent on how the 2022 information rupture affected you, you may be eligible for more payments.

E.g., if you spent time trying to recover from identity operator theft or fraud that caulescent from Equifax's data breach, you hind end be stipendiary $25 per 60 minutes for each time of day you spent on that work. That sour includes placing and removing accredit freezes and purchasing credit monitoring services.

Further, if you actually lost money from identity thieving or fraud caused by the go against, you dismiss make a claim to live reimbursed for adequate to $20,000. Echt evidence must be provided.

Mind the scams

Other incarnate data breach settlement with the US authorities means another moment for heightened cybersecurity watchfulness.

Equifax's extremely broad settlement is, if you'll forgiveness our stretched metaphor, kindred to a dead giant in the open ocean: Sharks are coming.

As with whatever major news in America, especially news that affects more than 100 million people, the opportunity for cybercriminal attack is high. For instance, later on the European Union's Systemic Data Protection Regularisation (GDPR) came into effect, countless company emails flooded Americans' inboxes. Cybercriminals were not far rear end, and they sent their own phishing emails that masqueraded As legitimate notices.

The same could fall out with the Equifax settlement.

Remember, in that respect is only one website right now to check if you're eligible for a take, and information technology's the one we've listed above.

With the breach once more in everyone's minds, it's also a blast to remember how to protect yourself from personal identity theft. Revisit our blog from 2022 that covers various safety precautions, including obtaining credit monitoring, refusing to answer to texts and calls from unknown phone numbers racket, and stepping finished your password protocol (father't repeat passwords, get to them thickening). And for even Thomas More in-depth information on individuality theft, have a look at this comprehensive article in our cybersecurity basics hub.

Stay put safe, everyone.