2.3 Million In AL Affected By Equifax Breach: How To File A Claim

BIRMINGHAM, AL — A $700 million settlement has been reached in Equifax security breach, and milloons fo Alabamians can make a claim to some of that settlement. There were 2.3 people in Alabama - nearly half the state - affected by the data breach.

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.

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 failed utterly in its responsibility to safeguard the information of consumers with due diligence, with consequences of untold harm by identity thefts that have occurred and may yet occur,"said Alabama Attorney General Marshall in a statement this week. "This settlement provides important steps to compensate consumers and mitigate the damage from Equifax’s careless practices. Perhaps as significant is the message to other businesses that they will be held to account for maintaining a high standard of protection for their customers’ data. I am extremely proud of the commitment and hard work by the staff of my Consumer Interest Division, which was part of the multistate executive committee, in reaching this settlement for the benefit of Alabama consumers."

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.

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.