One of the dangers of being online, online shopping, applying for credit and loans online are data breeches and hackers that get your personal info.  One of the biggest personal data leaks happened in 2017 when Equifax announced that personal data of more than 150 million people had been breached by cyber criminals.  Equifax agreed to pay $700 million in damages to settle federal and state investigations and how the company handled the data breach. The deal includes an initial restitution fund of $380.5 million. That is equal to a one time payment of $125 or 10 years of free credit monitoring.

The government says to only visit the website www.equifaxbreachsettlement.com only and by entering the website address yourself…DO NOT CLICK A LINK OR BANNER AD.  They could be fake sites trying to get your info.

If you agree to the $125 or credit monitoring, you are opting in to the settlement and will no longer be able to take legal action against Equifax. Two important dates to keep in mind. You have until November 19, 2019 to opt out of the settlement and retain your right to sue Equifax separately. You’ll have to opt out by sending a letter to Equifax and cannot do it online. If you want to opt in to the settlement and claim your $125 or free credit monitoring service, you much make your claim by January 22, 2020. Remember by opting in, you give up the right to pursue separate legal claims over the data breach. The claim processing won’t begin until next year, so be prepared to wait a while before the reimbursement check to make it’s way to you. CLICK HERE to see if you are eligible for compensation.