Attorney General Becerra Issues Advisory Encouraging Consumers to Apply for Relief in Equifax Settlement

Consumers may begin filing claims at www.equifaxbreachsettlement.com

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today encouraged consumers to begin the process of applying for restitution and submitting documentation for claims from the Equifax Settlement. The settlement resolved allegations that the credit reporting agency improperly exposed the personal information of 147 million consumers, including 15 million Californians, after a massive data breach in 2017. Data exposed by the breach included names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and in some instances, driver’s license numbers. Equifax did not disclose the breach, which lasted from mid-May through July 2017, until September 2017. The settlement requires Equifax to pay up to $425 million into a restitution fund and  $175 million in state penalties, and offer benefits like credit monitoring and consumer assistance for eligible customers.

“On top of holding Equifax accountable for one of the most devastating data breaches to face our nation, we have now recovered hundreds of millions of dollars to help our families who fell victim,” said Attorney General Becerra. “Our credit status impacts nearly every aspect of our lives – from purchasing a home or a car to finding a job. The same Americans who had to immediately protect themselves from fraudsters or identify thieves will have to be vigilant for the rest of their lives. We encourage every eligible person to apply for the relief they are entitled to as part of our settlement.”

Depending on eligibility, consumers may receive one or more of the following:

• Cash reimbursement for time or money spent trying to avoid or recover from fraud or identity theft because of the breach, and out of pocket losses resulting from the data breach;
• Free credit monitoring services for up to 10 years, or, alternatively, a payment of up to $125 for buying a different credit monitoring service;
• Reimbursement for up to 25 percent of the cost of Equifax credit monitoring paid for in the year leading up the data breach announcement; and
• At least seven years of free identity restoration services to help remedy the effects of identity theft and fraud.

Consumers may visit www.equifaxbreachsettlement.com to file a claim, learn more about eligible benefits, determine whether their information was impacted by the breach, or contact the settlement administrator. The webpage, documentation, and the claims process are managed by the settlement administrator, not by Equifax. Affected consumers may also call the settlement administrator at 1-833-759-2982 and request to receive information by mail.