Equifax settlement administrator sending letters and emails to people who filed claims

INDIANAPOLIS — If you filed a claim as part of the Equifax data breach settlement, keep an eye on your mailbox and email inbox.

The settlement administrator is sending letters and emails to people who filed a valid claim requesting free credit monitoring services.

The Federal Trade Commission provided the following information:

• Eligible claimants will get free membership in Experian IdentityWorks for four years.
• This service is free for you. You do not need to provide any payment information to enroll, and you do not need to cancel the service when it ends.
• To enroll, visit the Experian IdentityWorks website and enter the Activation Code from the email or letter you received. You can also call 1-877-251-5822.
• You must use the Activation Code by June 27, 2022. Your activation code will not work after this date.
• Legitimate emails about this settlement will come from Equifax Breach Settlement Administrator or info@equifaxbreachsettlement.com. The administrator will not call you about the settlement, but you can reach the administrator by phone at 1-833-759-2982.
  

In September 2017, Equifax announced a data breach that exposed the personal information of 147 million people. Equifax agreed to a global settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, 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.

The Indiana Office of the Indiana Attorney General filed a lawsuit on behalf of Hoosiers in 2019.

The state of Indiana and Equifax settled that lawsuit.

As part of the settlement, Equifax agreed to pay $19.5 million to the State of Indiana, which was then directed to consumer restitution payments and costs associated with the settlement.

The global settlement became final in January 2022.

"Remember that you don’t have to pay for credit monitoring as part of this settlement, and nobody will call, text, or email out of the blue to ask you for your credit card or bank account numbers, or to 'help' you get your free credit monitoring," the FTC said in a statement to WRTV. "Anyone who does is a scammer, so please tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov."