How to find out if you're affected by the Equifax hack

[4now]

Equifax said Thursday that 143 million people could be affected by a recent data breach in which cybercriminals stole information including names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and the numbers of some driver's licenses.

Equifax will not be contacting everyone who was affected, but will send direct mail notices to those whose credit card numbers or dispute records were accessed.

The company suggests you sign up for credit file monitoring and identity theft protection. It is providing free service for one year through TrustedID Premier -- whether or not you've been affected by the breach.

To enroll, go to www.equifaxsecurity2017.com and click on the Check Potential Impact tab. You must submit your last name and last six digits of your Social Security number there. At that point you'll be given a date when you can return to the site and sign up for the service.

The site says once you've submitted your information you will receive a message indicating whether you've been affected. But it's unclear when or how you will receive that message.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/07/pf/victim-equifax-hack-how-to-find-out/index.html

I don't know but this doesn't sound like a solution to me.
Just give Equifax some more of your personal information and sign up for their service.

[MattP]

1. If somebody stole my social and they give me 1 year of credit monitoring

[hlthe2b]

2. I went to their site earlier today, but when I realized I had to give THEM info...

I immediately closed the webpage.

How can it be that they don't have to notify US?

[FakeNoose]

4. Right - don't give them shit

If you already are their customer, they have to notify you.

If you're not their customer, is it really a smart move to give them your info just so they can lose it to hackers?

[kysrsoze]

5. You don't have to give them the info they already have, and at least they're giving free monitoring

for a year. That's the very least they should do. I think they should pay every breached customer some money. Idiots.

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. This has happened a half dozen times before.

when I used to use the free credit bureau information check, they never bothered to correct what was wrong.

Credit cards have a theft protection plan, free, You can report any problems and not be held to illegal charges.

[kysrsoze]

3. Quite a monumental screw-up. You'd think of all places, they'd be extra careful

at a credit reporting agency. What sucks is you really have no recourse with these idiots who are supposed to safeguard your info.

I agree - a really crappy way to handle this. At least the execs were able to dump their stock before the public got wind of it.

[FakeNoose]

6. Uh-h-h-h, I don't have to be their customer

That's how I plan to safeguard my own info.

[MattP]

8. If you applied for credit they have your social

[gopiscrap]

7. thanks

[IronLionZion]

10. Kick, because they probably have info on us even if we're not customers

If you've ever taken out any kind of loan: mortgage, credit card, bank loan, etc. they have your info. That's how it works.

I checked mine and was not part of the breach. I'm already signed up for free monitoring services through breaches at a bank I use and through the government one.

And as a public service, Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian have to give you a free credit report every year if you ask for it. Here's the government site: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action

It's good to keep an eye on your credit.

[cyberswede]

11. Looks like you give up your right to class action against Equifax if you sign up for monitoring, too

Elizabeth Warren tweet:

Link to tweet

[Egnever]

13. Wow that is a good heads up.

Hopefully more people see this

[suffragette]

15. Must read THIS first

K&R

[alarimer]

12. It's nice that they waited 40 days before notifying anyone.

Also nice that they let their higher-ups sell their stock before letting anyone know.

This is fucking capitalism and reason #1 billion why I hate corporations. Profiting from their own fuckups.

Also, if you sign up with their monitoring service, you are forced into arbitration rather than being allowed to sue if something happens.

[KWR65]

14. If you do this you will waive your right to sue Equifax forever.

You will have to hire a lawyer and pay for arbitration to have an claims heard.

[CountAllVotes]

16. Seems it is easy to be on this list

If you have a credit card or a bank acct. it seems they gotcha so to speak.

Already being monitored by CreditKarma.com (freebie service) BTW. They sent me a message saying "They've got my back" whatever that really means in this day and age!



What a freakin' nightmare!