A $425 Million class action settlement has been agreed on with Equifax over a massive data breach that took place several years ago. In September 2017 Equifax announced it experienced a data breach, which impacted the personally identifiable information of approximately 147 million people in the United States. 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.
Equifax is also offering Free Identity Restoration Services to those who have had their information impacted. Those that qualify 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, which is the Settlement Effective Date for this open class action.
How Do I Qualify?
If you are a class member, the extended deadline to file claims has been moved up to January 22, 2024. The
initial 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. For
additional security, Extended Claims Period claims for minors may only be sent by U.S. Mail.
How Much Can I Get?
Aside from the cash payment of up to $125 for being a class member, the Equifax class action settlement will recoup losses for those that can provide evidence. The cap on this is expected to be $10,000 to $25,000. If you were impacted by the Equifax
data breach, you may seek 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 have not received
reimbursement for the claimed loss through other means. The expected settlement payout date for class actions tends to be several months after the class action receives final approval from the court, and any appeals have been dismissed.
How Do I File a Claim?
To be eligible, you must file a claim form for Out-of-Pocket Losses or Time Spent. If you incurred out of pocket expenses or spent time resolving identity issues tied to the Equifax data breach between January 23, 2020
and January 22, 2024 (the “Extended Claims Period”), you can file a claim.
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 if the Settlement becomes effective. Depending on the number of
valid claims filed, the amount you receive may be a small percentage of your initial claim. To qualify
you must file a claim by January 22, 2024 electronically here.
How Do I Find Class Action Settlements?
Find all the latest class actions you can qualify for by getting notified of new lawsuits as soon as they are open to claims:
How do I Check My Equifax Settlement Claim Status?
If you already filed a claim and would like to know the status of your Equifax class action claim you can visit the claim status check site below. You will need to enter your claim number, which you can find in the confirmation email you received when you originally filed the data breach claim form.