Are Recent Equifax Breach Settlement Emails Legit?
Think back a few years, to September 2017 to be exact. Remember the massive Equifax data breach? It seemed to affect almost everyone, exposing the personal information of some 147 million people!
After finally going public with the breach, the company agreed to a global settlement of a class action lawsuit with the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and 50 U.S. states and territories.
The settlement included up to $425 million to help people harmed by the data breach. Class members could file a claim to receive three-bureau (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) credit monitoring free from Experian for four years or a cash payment of up to $125.
The initial deadline to file a claim in the Equifax settlement was January 22, 2020. In recent days, however, an email has been showing up in millions of In-Boxes claiming recipients would be receiving free membership in what is called Experian IdentityWorks for four years, but must proactively enroll, and do so by June 27, 2022.
This left people wondering, is this email legitimate or the makings of another scam?
In short, it is indeed legit!
Because of protracted litigation and extensive appeals, implementation of the plan was delayed for several years. However, the appellate courts have now finished their work, approved the plan and it now, finally, in effect.
And because the initial claims period has expired, a new extended claims period is in effect. As state earlier, however, to take advantage of this extended period, you much act by June 27 of this year.
Further, if you were affected by the data breach and discover misuse of your personal information, you can get free identity restoration services beginning January 2022, even if you never filed a claim for other benefits. Also, all U.S. consumers can now get 7 free Equifax credit reports per year through 2026 by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com.
According to the settlement website, www.experianidworks.com/equifaxsettlement, referring to the service IdentityWorks, "This comprehensive product includes credit monitoring from all three bureaus, access to your Experian credit report, Internet Surveillance, with up to $1 million in identity theft insurance. Additionally, as part of the Equifax Settlement, you are eligible to receive complimentary Identity Restoration services."
So, even if you didn’t get the recent email in question, the time is now to take advantage of the identity protection services being offered at no cost, even if you weren’t directly affected by the breach.
A note of caution here – thieves will take every advantage they can exploit. Expect them to attempt to phish information using a fake email looking like and promising something similar, so when you get one, make sure the email address is info@equifaxbreachsettlement.com. And also, be sure any links send you to experianidworks.com/equifaxsettlement. This is the site to go to for more information.
