EQUIFAX DATA BREACH SETTLEMENT

Welcome To The Equifax Data Breach Settlement Website

  

Important Updates:

The Settlement received final approval from the Court on January 13, 2020.  You may review the Final Approval Order and Final Order and Judgment by clicking here.  

Settlement appeals have been resolved and the Settlement is now effective.  Per the terms of the Settlement, claimants who submitted a valid claim for credit monitoring services were sent an email or letter by mail providing information on how to activate credit monitoring services with Experian.  If you did not do so by the deadline provided in the email or letter, the time to activate Experian Credit Monitoring Services has now passed.

Settlement benefits for eligible out-of-pocket losses and time spent began issuing in mid-December 2022.

Extended Claims Period claims for time spent and out-of-pocket losses are under review.  You will be contacted if additional information is needed regarding your claim(s).

The deadline to file an Extended Claims Period claim for Out-of-Pocket Losses or Time Spent that occurred between January 23, 2020, and January 22, 2024, passed on January 22, 2024.

 

In September of 2017, Equifax announced it experienced a data breach, which impacted the personal information of approximately 147 million people.  A federal court approved a class action Settlement that resolves lawsuits brought by consumers after the data breach.  Equifax denied any wrongdoing and no judgment or finding of wrongdoing was made.

If you are a Class Member, the deadline to file Initial Claims Period claim(s) for free credit monitoring or up to $125 cash payment and other cash reimbursement passed on January 22, 2020.  The deadline to file an Extended Claims Period claim passed on January 22, 2024.

The Settlement is now effective. If you requested a cash benefit during the Initial Claims Period, the amount you receive may be significantly reduced depending on how many valid claims were submitted by other class members. Based on the number of potentially valid claims that have been submitted to date, payments for time spent and alternative compensation of up to $125 likely will be substantially lowered and will be distributed on a proportional basis. Depending on the number of valid claims filed, the amount you receive may be a small percentage of your initial claim.

 

Extended Claims Period Claims

The deadline to file an Extended Claims Period claim for Out-of-Pocket Losses or Time Spent that occurred between January 23, 2020, and January 22, 2024, passed on January 22, 2024.

If you were impacted by the Equifax data breach, you could have sought reimbursement for valid Out-of-Pocket losses or Time Spent (excluding losses of money and time associated with freezing or unfreezing credit reports or purchasing credit monitoring or identity theft protection) incurred during the Extended Claims Period if you had not received reimbursement for the claimed loss through other means.

To be eligible, your claim for Out-of-Pocket Losses or Time Spent must have occurred between January 23, 2020 and January 22, 2024 (the “Extended Claims Period”).

 


During the Extended Claims Period, impacted class members may submit claim(s) for cash reimbursement. You may be eligible for the following reimbursement cash payments for:

  • Time Spent during the Extended Claims Period recovering from fraud, identity theft, or other misuse of your personal information caused by the data breach up to 20 total hours at $25 per hour.
  • Out-of-Pocket Losses during the Extended Claims Period resulting from the data breach up to $20,000.

In order to submit a claim for Time Spent or Out-of-Pocket Losses during the Extended Claims Period, you must certify that you have not received reimbursement for the claimed loss through other means.


Free Identity Restoration Services:  You will be eligible for at least 7 years of free assisted identity restoration services to help you remedy the effects of identity theft and fraud.  Services will be available for at least 7 years after January 11, 2022 (the Settlement Effective Date).
 

 

Find Out if Your Information Was Impacted

The deadline to file a claim has passed.

 

Your Legal Rights and Options

 

Your Legal Rights And Options In This Settlement Deadline
File a claim for Out-of-Pocket Losses or Time Spent The deadline to file a claim for Out-of-Pocket Losses or Time Spent that occurred through January 22, 2020 has passed.

The deadline to file a claim for Out-of-Pocket Losses or Time Spent that occurred between January 23, 2020, and January 22, 2024, has passed.

The deadline to file a claim for Out-of-Pocket Losses or Time Spent that occurred between January 23, 2020, and January 22, 2024, has passed.For more detailed information, see FAQs 7 and 8.
January 22, 2020 (PASSED)

January 22, 2024 (PASSED)
File a claim for Credit Monitoring Services or Alternative Reimbursement Compensation The deadline to submit a claim to receive the Free Credit Monitoring Services offered under the Settlement, or Alternative Reimbursement Compensation has passed. For more detailed information, see FAQs 8 and 10. January 22, 2020 (PASSED)
File a claim for Equifax Subscription Product Reimbursement The deadline to submit a claim to receive reimbursement for Equifax Subscription Product Reimbursements has passed. January 22, 2020 (PASSED)
Access to Identity Restoration Services You may access Identity Restoration Services after the Settlement becomes effective, whether or not you make a claim under the Settlement. For more detailed information, see FAQ 11. Services will be available for at least 7 years after January 11, 2022 (the Settlement Effective Date).
Exclude yourself from the Settlement The deadline to exclude yourself from the Settlement has passed. November 19, 2019 (PASSED)
Object or comment on the Settlement The deadline to object to the Settlement has passed. November 19, 2019 (PASSED)
Do nothing If you did nothing, you can still access Identity Restoration Services, but you will not be entitled to any other benefits provided under the Settlement. The Settlement is now effective.  Class Members who did not submit a valid exclusion gave up their rights to sue Equifax separately for claims relating to the Data Breach or to continue to pursue any such claims already filed.  

 

Your Legal Rights And Options In This Settlement Deadline
File a claim for Out-of-Pocket Losses or Time Spent
The deadline to file a claim for Out-of-Pocket Losses or Time Spent that occurred through January 22, 2020 has passed.

The deadline to file a claim for Out-of-Pocket Losses or Time Spent that occurred between January 23, 2020, and January 22, 2024, has passed.

The deadline to file a claim for Out-of-Pocket Losses or Time Spent that occurred between January 23, 2020, and January 22, 2024, has passed.For more detailed information, see FAQs 7 and 8.
January 22, 2020 (PASSED)

January 22, 2024 (PASSED)
File a claim for Credit Monitoring Services or Alternative Reimbursement Compensation
The deadline to submit a claim to receive the Free Credit Monitoring Services offered under the Settlement, or Alternative Reimbursement Compensation has passed. For more detailed information, see FAQs 8 and 10.
January 22, 2020 (PASSED)
File a claim for Equifax Subscription Product Reimbursement
The deadline to submit a claim to receive reimbursement for Equifax Subscription Product Reimbursements has passed.
January 22, 2020 (PASSED)
Access to Identity Restoration Services
You may access Identity Restoration Services after the Settlement becomes effective, whether or not you make a claim under the Settlement. For more detailed information, see FAQ 11.
Services will be available for at least 7 years after January 11, 2022 (the Settlement Effective Date)
Exclude yourself from the Settlement
The deadline to exclude yourself from the Settlement has passed. 
November 19, 2019 (PASSED)
Object or comment on the Settlement
The deadline to object to the Settlement has passed. 
November 19, 2019 (PASSED)
Do nothing
If you did nothing, you can still access Identity Restoration Services, but you will not be entitled to any other benefits provided under the Settlement. The Settlement is now effective.  Class Members who did not submit a valid exclusion gave up their rights to sue Equifax separately for claims relating to the Data Breach or to continue to pursue any such claims already filed.