What consumers should know about Equifax $700M settlement

Jul 23, 20190

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FILE - This July 21, 2012, file photo shows signage at the corporate headquarters of Equifax Inc., in Atlanta. Equifax will pay up to $700 million to settle with the Federal Trade Commission and others over a 2017 data breach that exposed Social Security numbers and other private information of nearly 150 million people. The proposed settlement with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, if approved by the federal district court Northern District of Georgia, will provide up to $425 million in monetary relief to consumers, a $100 million civil money penalty, and other relief. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)

Equifax's $700 million settlement with the U.S. government over a massive 2017 data breach includes up to $425 million for consumers.

The breach was one of the largest ever to threaten private information, affecting 147 million people. The compromised data included Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, driver license numbers, credit card numbers and in some cases, data from passports. Criminals can use those bits of personal information to commit identity theft.

http://www.startribune.com/what-consumers-should-know-about-equifax-700m-settlement/513036062/