Board 8 > PSA: Due to the Equifax data breach, they will pay $125 to all affected people

(+) Yeah! (+)

Not gonna link to it because I don't want to be responsible for any spoof websites but it can be reached from the FTC's website... although it says it's not available yet, might need to be updated.

Essentially there's a place to check if you were effected (1/3 of Americans were) by entering most of your SSN. If you were affected and you have credit monitoring (lots of places offer this... e.g. Discover) you're eligible for the $125.

You're entitled to a lot more if you spent time dealing with ID Theft but most of these require proof. But if you spent time calling the Credit Bureaus to freeze your credit that counts at $25/hr... under penalties of perjury so be careful.

Just submitted my claim.
---

Menji posted...

Just submitted my claim.

https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/cases-proceedings/refunds/equifax-data-breach-settlement

"You cannot file a claim yet."

oh

It's up now.

You could get there directly before though.
---

Menji you are a doll
---

Thank You
Based on the information you provided, our records indicate your personal information was impacted by this incident.

For more information, visit the FAQ page.

Son of a bitch.

Guess I'll collect my $125
---

If you spent time trying to recover from fraud or identity theft caused by the data breach, or if you spent time trying to avoid fraud or identity theft because of the data breach (for example, placing or removing credit freezes on your credit files or purchasing credit monitoring services), complete the chart below. You can be compensated $25 per hour for up to 20 hours.

If you claim 10 hours or less, you must describe the actions you took in response to the data breach and the time each action took.

If you claim more than 10 hours total, you must describe the actions you took in response to the data breach and include supporting documents showing fraud, identity theft, or other misuse of your personal information.

Would you like to make a claim for time?

Yeah this doesn't look as simple as just getting $125, unless I am reading it wrong.
---

You can skip that if you did not spend time, and just get 125.

If you spent time and money, you can get more.
---

I don't expect to actually get the full $125 since there will be a ton of people who will apply for this.
---

DoomTheGyarados posted...

You can skip that if you did not spend time, and just get 125.

If you spent time and money, you can get more.

ooh yes, I see now
---

I spent about an hour contacting the credit bureaus to freeze my credit so that's all I was comfortable putting down for an extra 25
---

Yeah, if you actually have a record showing fraudulent charges, you can totally file for a 10 hour ($250) claim. That's 100% fair.
---

Thanks for the heads up on this.
---

Phew I wasnt impacted
---

Hell yeah, a free $125
---

I wasn't affected

Forceful_Dragon posted...

Thank You
Based on the information you provided, our records indicate your personal information was impacted by this incident.

For more information, visit the FAQ page.

Son of a bitch.

Guess I'll collect my $125

---

Oh hey I was effected.

I'll collect this when I get home. Thanks!
---

I look forward to a random check in about a year.
---

Worth noting the $125 is only if you already have a credit monitoring service for the next 6 months. Otherwise they sign you up for credit monitoring service for 4 months instead of $125. Who knows if they'll actually verify you have credit monitoring service already.
---

skullbone posted...

Worth noting the $125 is only if you already have a credit monitoring service for the next 6 months. Otherwise they sign you up for credit monitoring service for 4 months instead of $125. Who knows if they'll actually verify you have credit monitoring service already.

You can choose to take the cash option regardless of whether or not you currently have a credit monitoring service.
---

Filed
---

but what will happen if you choose $125 and don't have credit monitoring
---

i wasn't affected but apparently my gf was

i filed anyway fuck equifax

thanks for the heads up
---

ZenOfThunder posted...

i wasn't affected but apparently my gf was

i filed anyway fuck equifax

thanks for the heads up

Trying to take away settlement funds from actually affected people. Nice.
---

For those worried about not having credit monitoring service, just sign up for credit karma. It's free, fast, and safe.
---

Filed and I do have credit karma
---

I'm pleasantly surprised that I wasn't affected according to their intel.
---

Corrik7 posted...

ZenOfThunder posted...

i wasn't affected but apparently my gf was

i filed anyway fuck equifax

thanks for the heads up

Trying to take away settlement funds from actually affected people. Nice.

Thats not how it works.
---

KommunistKoala posted...

but what will happen if you choose $125 and don't have credit monitoring

sign up for credit karma, it's free.

otherwise you're committing fraud by saying you'll have monitoring service for the next 6 months when you know that you don't/won't
---

I'm reluctant to put my info into their little thing since it's not actually a government website.
---

Anagram posted...

I'm reluctant to put my info into their little thing since it's not actually a government website.

It's linked to on a government website.

https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/cases-proceedings/refunds/equifax-data-breach-settlement

Looks like I was hit, huh.
---

Thanks Menji - filed.

I'd much rather NOT have had my data compromised, but oh well.
---

I was hit.

So... supposing that I'd rather not get my credit destroyed, they'll pay for 4 months of monitoring?

they want you to take the monitoring because it costs them nothing, take that $$$$$

creditkarma gives you free monitoring anyway just use that, it's free
---

Credit Karma is one of those services that is so good, it feels like a scam. I cannot recommend it enough.
---

The data breach was in 2017. A random 4 months of monitoring 2 years after the fact is probably pretty worthless.
---

Submitted my claim. Thanks, Menji!
---

My wife and I submitted our claims. Thank you
---

Submitted, assuming from previous posts that Credit Karma works for this. Thanks!

Now how do I follow up on this?
---

I wasn't impacted so that's good I guess.

Thanks for looking out.
---

Pokalicious posted...

Submitted, assuming from previous posts that Credit Karma works for this. Thanks!

Now how do I follow up on this?

They may or may not send you your check as they are supposed to. Find out in time. Red Bull never sent me my free case of red bull. = /
---

I was exposed so I went through the thing. I think it's actually 4 years of three bureau rather than months, and they'll add on an additional 6 years after that expires for one-bureau monitoring.

Corrik7 posted...

Pokalicious posted...

Submitted, assuming from previous posts that Credit Karma works for this. Thanks!

Now how do I follow up on this?

They may or may not send you your check as they are supposed to. Find out in time. Red Bull never sent me my free case of red bull. = /

I also never got my Red Bull
---

The crappy thing is that the issue isn't just going to go away

Once this info was leaked, it's going to be out there forever

30 years from now someone could use your ssn to take out a massive loan
---

To my surprise, I shared this with my whole family and none of them were affected.
---

I'm still picking the $125, but now that I'm actually filling this out, it's actually 4 years of credit monitoring, not 4 months.
---

My data has been leaked enough times that I already have credit monitoring, so I guess I'll take the $125. Don't expect to ever see it though.
---

Tbh it's not really a matter of if something you have will be leaked or compromised it's when.

Like I was on the list and got notified awhile ago and made changes to some personal accounts. But because I had no financial loss and limited other real issues I have no way to really access the damages done to me if any.
---