Fact Check: Equifax data breach email

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — These days you can’t trust every email you get. There are plenty of scams out there. That’s why some of you might be wondering about an email you got recently. It has to do with the Equifax data breach settlement. Is it legit?

News10NBC’s Nikki Rudd is checking the facts.

We have been reporting about the huge Equifax data breach since it happened back in September 2017. Hackers stole the sensitive information of 147 million people. That’s about half the country.

Equifax agreed to a global settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and 50 U.S. states and territories. The settlement includes up to $425 million to help people affected by the data breach.

As part of the settlement that became final, just last month victims could get four years of credit monitoring service for free. The settlement administrator just started to send emails and letters to people who filed a valid claim requesting that free credit monitoring.

You get a free membership with Experian Identity Works, but it takes you to a site where you have to provide a lot of personal information. Of course, that raises red flags for a lot of us.

Here’s how you can be sure the email you got is legit. First, it will come from Equifax Breach Settlement Administrator . The administrator will not call you about the settlement, but you can reach the administrator by phone at 1-833-759-2982.

The email will also include an activation code. You must use the activation code by June 27, 2022. Your activation code will not work after this date.

According to the FTC, you do not need to provide any payment information to enroll, and you do not need to cancel the service when it ends after four years.