Chances are you probably heard about the big Equifax breach. According to the Federal Trade Commission, from May to July 2017, 143 million people were affected in which personal and sensitive information was exposed including birthdates, tax information, social security numbers and addresses of those who have a credit report. Not only was sensitive data exposed to the hackers, but approximately 209,000 credit card numbers and182,000 dispute documents were accessed. In return, Equifax (the 1 of 3 major credit bureaus) is offering free credit monitoring for 1 year through TrustedID.
Why You Shouldn’t Sign Up for Equifax’s Free Credit Monitoring
This cyber security incident is a big one, with all the heat being on Equifax, they need to protect themselves fro
m lawsuits from the victims of the breach. When you sign up for the 1 year of free credit monitoring through Equifax, you give up your right to a lawsuit against Equifax even if you weren’t affected. So whether you were affected or not, if there is a decision to sue Equifax for any inaccurate information or identity theft, if you have enrolled for freeannualcreditreport.com or through any 3 of the major bureaus credit monitoring service, your right to a lawsuit is forfeit and no longer eligible due to the term and conditions.
What to do if you’ve been affected and how to check
It’s always a smart idea to regularly monitor your credit to check for inaccuracies, but especially in a cyber attack like this one.
We recommend using ScoreSense to monitor your credit, and check for fraudulent activity. This service offers a detailed report for the three major bureaus; Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion and the first 7 days are free. There is an option to cancel this service at the end of the trial, but a representative of ScoreSense will offer the monthly subscription for a much cheaper option, which of course, we encourage you to take advantage of.
If you have been affected by the 2017 Equifax Breach, and are not sure what to do first, feel free to contact us for information and tips at 1(800)216-2725