TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody today issued a Consumer Alert to remind consumers affected by the massive Equifax data breach to file claims before the Jan. 22 deadline. The 2017 data breach affected nearly half of the U.S. population and Attorney General Moody’s Office reached an agreement with Equifax creating a Consumer Restitution Fund of up to $425 million. Attorney General Moody encourages all eligible consumers to file a claim before the deadline by visiting EquifaxBreachSettlement.com or calling 1(833) 759-2982.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “The massive Equifax data breach affected millions of consumers and there is relief available for victims, but the deadline to file a claim is quickly approaching. That is why I am encouraging all eligible consumers to please file a claim before the deadline on Wednesday, January 22.”
In July 2019, Attorney General Moody announced an agreement reached with Equifax over the company’s failed security measures in a data breach that allowed attackers to penetrate the company’s system that went unnoticed for 76 days. The agreement is the result of a multistate investigation into the breach that found Equifax failed to maintain a reasonable security system enabling hackers to penetrate its systems. Affected personal information included Social Security numbers, names, dates of birth, addresses, credit card numbers, and in some cases, driver’s license numbers.
For more information about the agreement reached with Equifax, click here.
Along with the announcement of the claims process, came reports of phishing attacks related to the Equifax claims process. Attorney General Moody issued a previous Consumer Alert, warning consumers not to fall for scams attempting to steal consumer information using fake Equifax claims webpages. With the claims deadline quickly approaching, consumers should still be wary of these phishing attacks and use the following tips:
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- Do not open emails or attachments from an unfamiliar sender;
- Hover cursors over links in emails to see where the links lead to determine if the links are known and trusted web addresses;
- Study the email or attachment carefully for any spelling or grammar issues;
- Verify the legitimacy of the email with its source by contacting the institution at the web address or phone number listed on a bill or statement; and
- Notify the institution of any phishing attempts made in its name; it may wish to send an alert or warning to its customers.
Forward phishing and spam emails to the FTC at FTC.gov/Complaint. Report fraud to the Florida Attorney General’s Office by calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM or by visiting MyFloridaLegal.com.
