Off-Topic OT Equifax break in

[eam531]

Originally Posted by cyana

I would be highly suspect of anything received via e-mail. If if is something supposedly from a credit reporting agency, I would go to their web site and get the phone number and contact them directly. Typically these official notifications are sent via US mail. People can also spoof phone numbers, so if someone called saying they were your bank, I'd hang up and call your bank directly. Or go in person and speak with your banker.

I've just finished signing up for every notification available from my bank as well as setting up a credit freeze through Innovis.

Excellent advice.

This breach potentially affects over 146 million people. There is no way any credit bureau could notify all those people with e-mail or letters. The safest thing is to assume that if you have any credit history whatsoever, your information is at risk.

Set up security freezes, set up fraud alerts on your credit reports, and as Cyana says, sign up for any notifications available from your banks and credit card companies.

Also, try not to get complacent once you have all this stuff set up. If it wasn't true before, it's true now--anyone with a credit history will need to exert constant vigilance over their information. Obviously the credit reporting companies cannot be trusted to do that for us.

[firmaniac]

I'm unable to link due to being on my phone, but at Salon dot com an article appeared last night stating that if you logged in or registered at Equifax to ascertain if your info had been breached (and they said Check Back In A Week We Are So Busy) you automatically, due to their new fine print disclaimer, excluded yourself from being able to participate in any Class Action Lawsuit activity. I am SO over the "credit score" tyranny that drives every aspect of our lives. From employment, rental cars, finding a new doctor.... Credit Score. And then this happens. I am over it!

[cyana]

Julie - DH took the first steps with Equifax before I knew anything about the arbitration clause, but found information that you can opt out of the provision if you notify Equifax in writing within 30 days:

http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/08/tech...ex.html?iid=EL

Equifax is getting tons of heat about this clause, as you might imagine and they vow the arbitration clause only relates to any issues with the credit monitoring service and NOT the actual credit breach. As the article also notes, there are a number of attorneys who also argue this clause does not apply to the breach.

I also found this quote in a different article: "Equifax said in a statement Friday the arbitration clause doesn’t apply to the breach, but only to disputes that might arise with the free protection services."

I'm going to keep researching this.

[LizEMA]

Originally Posted by cyana

Julie - DH took the first steps with Equifax before I knew anything about the arbitration clause, but found information that you can opt out of the provision if you notify Equifax in writing within 30 days:

http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/08/tech...ex.html?iid=EL

Equifax is getting tons of heat about this clause, as you might imagine and they vow the arbitration clause only relates to any issues with the credit monitoring service and NOT the actual credit breach. As the article also notes, there are a number of attorneys who also argue this clause does not apply to the breach.

I also found this quote in a different article: "Equifax said in a statement Friday the arbitration clause doesn’t apply to the breach, but only to disputes that might arise with the free protection services."

I'm going to keep researching this.

Yes, I just read about the clause via a comment someone left on a site regarding this breach. Twenty (20) mins AFTER I finished up on the Equifax site.

I will look in to it further, but, cyana, do please come back and update us if/when you discover something pertaining to the clause.

[beanpeanut]

OOOhhh... There goes my millions.

[Taramisu]

Thanks for all who have posted about this, really good information.

How do you go about a credit freeze and placing fraud alerts on your credit information? Do you contact the three agencies by phone?

[Carol K]

Here's a link you can go to find out if you are potentially impacted. You enter your last name and the last 6 digits of your social security number. It said I was probably not impacted, but the two people on WGN news where I found out about this link said that they were. I also heard that the people most likely to be impacted were those who were currently disputing their credit reports, but I don't know if that's accurate.

https://www.equifaxsecurity2017.com/potential-impact/

P.S. Don't sign up for Equifax's credit monitoring service. If you want this service, I would go somewhere else.

[firmaniac]

Originally Posted by cyana

Julie - DH took the first steps with Equifax before I knew anything about the arbitration clause, but found information that you can opt out of the provision if you notify Equifax in writing within 30 days:

http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/08/tech...ex.html?iid=EL

Equifax is getting tons of heat about this clause, as you might imagine and they vow the arbitration clause only relates to any issues with the credit monitoring service and NOT the actual credit breach. As the article also notes, there are a number of attorneys who also argue this clause does not apply to the breach.

I also found this quote in a different article: "Equifax said in a statement Friday the arbitration clause doesn’t apply to the breach, but only to disputes that might arise with the free protection services."

I'm going to keep researching this.

Thank you for sharing this Cyana

[cyana]

Originally Posted by Taramisu

Thanks for all who have posted about this, really good information.

How do you go about a credit freeze and placing fraud alerts on your credit information? Do you contact the three agencies by phone?

http://clark.com/personal-finance-cr...nd-thaw-guide/

Clark Howard is a consumer advocate who has a wealth of information on his web site and you can also subscribe to his e-mails. The link above has good instructions for getting your credit freeze in place.

[Taramisu]

Originally Posted by cyana

http://clark.com/personal-finance-cr...nd-thaw-guide/

Clark Howard is a consumer advocate who has a wealth of information on his web site and you can also subscribe to his e-mails. The link above has good instructions for getting your credit freeze in place.

Thank you for your help