Consumer Notice

Notice of Data Breach State Information

At Equifax, protecting the security of the information in our possession is a responsibility we take very seriously. This is to notify you of a data security incident that may have exposed some of your personal information, including your Social Security number and other identifying information. This site explains the incident and steps Equifax has undertaken to address it. In addition, we provide guidance below on what you can do to protect your personal information.

CollapseExpand All

I. What Happened

On July 29, 2017, Equifax discovered that criminals exploited a U.S. website application vulnerability to gain access to certain files. Upon discovery, we acted immediately to stop the intrusion. The company promptly engaged a leading, independent cybersecurity firm which has been conducting a comprehensive forensic review to determine the scope of the intrusion, including the specific data impacted. Equifax also reported the criminal access to law enforcement and continues to work with authorities. Based on the company’s investigation, the unauthorized access occurred from mid-May through July 2017.

II. What Information Was Involved

Most of the consumer information accessed includes names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and in some instances, driver’s license numbers. In addition, credit card numbers for approximately 209,000 consumers and certain dispute documents, which included personal identifying information, for approximately 182,000 consumers were accessed. In addition to this site, Equifax will send direct mail notices to consumers whose credit card numbers or dispute documents with personal identifying information were impacted. We have found no evidence of unauthorized access to Equifax’s core consumer or commercial credit reporting databases.

III. What We Are Doing

Upon learning of this incident, Equifax took steps to stop the intrusion, and engaged an independent cybersecurity firm to forensically investigate and determine the scope. Equifax also engaged the cybersecurity firm to conduct an assessment and provide recommendations on steps that can be taken to help prevent this type of incident from happening again.

Equifax is focused on consumer protection and has established a dedicated website, www.equifaxsecurity2017.com, to help consumers. To learn more about the proposed class action settlement and to understand the benefits that you may be eligible to receive, please visit www.EquifaxBreachSettlement.com.

We are also offering free identity theft protection and credit file monitoring to all U.S. consumers, even if you are not impacted by this incident. This offering, called TrustedID Premier, includes 3-Bureau credit monitoring of your Equifax, Experian and TransUnion credit reports; copies of your Equifax credit report; the ability to lock and unlock your Equifax credit report; identity theft insurance; and Internet scanning for your Social Security number – all complimentary to U.S. consumers for one year. To find out more information on this complimentary offer and to sign up, please click on the tab “What Can I Do?” on this site. You must complete the enrollment process by January 31, 2018.

IV. What You Can Do

In addition to enrolling in identity theft protection and credit file monitoring, please see the “Identity Theft Prevention Tips” below, and the “State Information” tab of this site. This information provides additional steps you can take, including how to obtain a free copy of your credit report and place a fraud alert and/or credit freeze on your credit report. In addition, please monitor your account statements and report any unauthorized charges to your credit card companies and financial institutions.

V. For More Information

Equifax is committed to ensuring that your personal information is protected, and we apologize to our consumers and our business customers for the concern and frustration this incident causes. If you have additional questions, please call our dedicated call center at 866-447-7559, available from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Eastern time, seven days a week.

Identity Theft Prevention Tips

We recommend that you remain vigilant for incidents of fraud and identity theft by reviewing account statements and monitoring your credit reports. You may obtain a free copy of your credit report from each company listed below once every 12 months by requesting your report online at www.annualcreditreport.com, calling toll-free 1-877-322-8228, or mailing an Annual Credit Report Request Form (available at www.annualcreditreport.com) to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA, 30348-5281. You may also purchase a copy of your credit report by contacting any of the credit reporting agencies below:

Equifax
PO Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374
www.equifax.com
888-766-0008

Experian
PO Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
www.experian.com
888-397-3742

TransUnion
PO Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016
www.transunion.com
800-680-7289

If you believe you are the victim of identity theft, you should contact the proper law enforcement authorities, including local law enforcement, and you should consider contacting your state attorney general and/or the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”). You also may contact the FTC to obtain additional information about avoiding identity theft.

Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Response Center
600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338)
www.ftc.gov/idtheft

State Attorneys General: Information on how to contact your state attorney general may be found at www.naag.org/naag/attorneys-general/whos-my-ag.php.

You may obtain information from the FTC and the credit reporting agencies listed above about placing a fraud alert and/or credit freeze on your credit report. Please also visit the “State Information” tab of this site.

CollapseExpand All

For Maryland Residents

You may obtain information about avoiding identity theft from the Maryland Attorney General’s Office. This office can be reached at:

Office of the State of Maryland Attorney General
200 St. Paul Place, Baltimore, MD 21202; 1-888-743-0023
www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov

For Massachusetts Residents

Under Massachusetts law, you also have the right to obtain a police report in regard to this incident. If you are the victim of identity theft, you also have the right to file a police report and obtain a copy of it. You may also consider placing a fraud alert message or security freeze on your credit file by calling the toll-free telephone numbers for each of the three national consumer credit reporting agencies listed under the “Notice of Data Breach” tab. A security freeze prohibits a credit reporting agency from releasing any information from a consumer’s credit report without written authorization. However, please be aware that placing a security freeze on your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prevent the timely approval of any requests you make for new loans, credit, mortgages, employment, housing or other services.

If you have been a victim of identity theft and you provide the credit reporting agency with a valid police report, it cannot charge you to place, lift or remove a security freeze. In all other cases, a credit reporting agency may charge you up to $5.00 each to place, temporarily lift, or permanently remove a security freeze. To place a security freeze on your credit file, you must send a written request to each of the three national consumer reporting agencies listed under the “Notice of Data Breach” tab by regular, certified or overnight mail. In order to request a security freeze, you will need to provide the following information:

Your full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
Social Security number;
Date of birth;
If you have moved in the past five (5) years, provide the addresses where you have lived over the prior five years;
Proof of current address such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
A legible photocopy of a government issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, military identification, etc.);
If you are a victim of identity theft, include a copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft;
If you are not a victim of identity theft, include payment by check, money order, or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover only). Do not send cash through the mail.

The credit reporting agencies have three (3) business days after receiving your request to place a security freeze on your credit report. The credit bureaus must also send written confirmation to you within five (5) business days and provide you with a unique personal identification number (PIN) or password, or both, that can be used by you to authorize the removal or lifting of the security freeze.

To lift the security freeze in order to allow a specific entity or individual access to your credit report, you must call or send a written request to the credit reporting agencies by mail and include proper identification (name, address, and Social Security number) and the PIN number or password provided to you when you placed the security freeze as well as the identities of those entities or individuals you would like to receive your credit report or the specific period of time you want the credit report available. The credit reporting agencies have three (3) business days after receiving your request to lift the security freeze for those identified entities or for the specified period of time.

To remove the security freeze, you must send a written request to each of the three credit bureaus by mail and include proper identification (name, address, and Social Security number) and the PIN number or password provided to you when you placed the security freeze. The credit bureaus have three (3) business days after receiving your request to remove the security freeze.

For New Mexico Residents

Under New Mexico law, you also have the right to obtain a police report in regard to this incident. If you are the victim of identity theft, you also have the right to file a police report and obtain a copy of it. You may also consider placing a fraud alert message or security freeze on your credit file by calling the toll-free telephone numbers for each of the three national consumer credit reporting agencies listed under the “Notice of Data Breach” tab. A security freeze prohibits a credit reporting agency from releasing any information from a consumer’s credit report without written authorization. However, please be aware that placing a security freeze on your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prevent the timely approval of any requests you make for new loans, credit, mortgages, employment, housing or other services.

If you have been a victim of identity theft and you provide the credit reporting agency with a valid police report, it cannot charge you to place, lift or remove a security freeze. Alternatively, if you are over the age of 65, then the fee will also be waived. In all other cases, a credit reporting agency may charge you up to $10.00 each to place, temporarily lift, or permanently remove a security freeze. To place a security freeze on your credit file, you must send a written request to each of the three national consumer reporting agencies listed under the “Notice of Data Breach” tab by regular, certified or overnight mail. In order to request a security freeze, you will need to provide the following information:

Your full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
Social Security number;
Date of birth;
If you have moved in the past five (5) years, provide the addresses where you have lived over the prior five years;
Proof of current address such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
A legible photocopy of a government issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, military identification, etc.);
If you are a victim of identity theft, include a copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft;
If you are not a victim of identity theft, include payment by check, money order, or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover only). Do not send cash through the mail.

The credit reporting agencies have three (3) business days after receiving your request to place a security freeze on your credit report. The credit bureaus must also send written confirmation to you within five (5) business days and provide you with a unique personal identification number (PIN) or password, or both, that can be used by you to authorize the removal or lifting of the security freeze.

To lift the security freeze in order to allow a specific entity or individual access to your credit report, you must call or send a written request to the credit reporting agencies by mail and include proper identification (name, address, and Social Security number) and the PIN number or password provided to you when you placed the security freeze as well as the identities of those entities or individuals you would like to receive your credit report or the specific period of time you want the credit report available. The credit reporting agencies have three (3) business days after receiving your request to lift the security freeze for those identified entities or for the specified period of time.

To remove the security freeze, you must send a written request to each of the three credit bureaus by mail and include proper identification (name, address, and Social Security number) and the PIN number or password provided to you when you placed the security freeze. The credit bureaus have three (3) business days after receiving your request to remove the security freeze.

For North Carolina Residents

You may obtain information about avoiding identity theft from the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office. This office can be reached at:

North Carolina Attorney General’s Office
9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; 919-716-6400
www.ncdoj.gov

For Rhode Island Residents

You may obtain information about avoiding identity theft from the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office. This office can be reached at:

Office of the State of Rhode Island Attorney General, 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903; www.riag.ri.gov; 401-274-4400

Under Rhode Island law, you also have the right to obtain a police report in regard to this incident. If you are the victim of identity theft, you also have the right to file a police report and obtain a copy of it. You may also consider placing a fraud alert message or security freeze on your credit file by calling the toll-free telephone numbers for each of the three national consumer credit reporting agencies listed under the “Notice of Data Breach” tab. A security freeze prohibits a credit reporting agency from releasing any information from a consumer’s credit report without written authorization. However, please be aware that placing a security freeze on your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prevent the timely approval of any requests you make for new loans, credit, mortgages, employment, housing or other services.

If you have been a victim of identity theft and you provide the credit reporting agency with a valid police report, it cannot charge you to place, lift or remove a security freeze. Alternatively, if you are over the age of 65, then the fee will also be waived. In all other cases, a credit reporting agency may charge you up to $10.00 each to place, temporarily lift, or permanently remove a security freeze. To place a security freeze on your credit file, you must send a written request to each of the three national consumer reporting agencies listed under the “Notice of Data Breach” tab by regular, certified or overnight mail. In order to request a security freeze, you will need to provide the following information:

Your full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
Social Security number;
Date of birth;
If you have moved in the past five (5) years, provide the addresses where you have lived over the prior five years;
Proof of current address such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
A legible photocopy of a government issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, military identification, etc.);
If you are a victim of identity theft, include a copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft;
If you are not a victim of identity theft, include payment by check, money order, or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover only). Do not send cash through the mail.

The credit reporting agencies have three (3) business days after receiving your request to place a security freeze on your credit report. The credit bureaus must also send written confirmation to you within five (5) business days and provide you with a unique personal identification number (PIN) or password, or both, that can be used by you to authorize the removal or lifting of the security freeze.

To lift the security freeze in order to allow a specific entity or individual access to your credit report, you must call or send a written request to the credit reporting agencies by mail and include proper identification (name, address, and Social Security number) and the PIN number or password provided to you when you placed the security freeze as well as the identities of those entities or individuals you would like to receive your credit report or the specific period of time you want the credit report available. The credit reporting agencies have three (3) business days after receiving your request to lift the security freeze for those identified entities or for the specified period of time.

To remove the security freeze, you must send a written request to each of the three credit bureaus by mail and include proper identification (name, address, and Social Security number) and the PIN number or password provided to you when you placed the security freeze. The credit bureaus have three (3) business days after receiving your request to remove the security freeze.

consumer_notice

Consumer Notice