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(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General
Mike DeWine today offered updated information for consumers following the
recent announcement by Equifax of a major data breach affecting over 5 million
Ohioans. Equifax, one of the nation’s three major credit reporting bureaus, has stated
that their system was compromised between May and July of this year and
includes names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and
driver’s license numbers.
“The news of the Equifax breach was, and remains, absolutely shocking,”
Attorney General DeWine said. “It’s important for consumers to understand the
new information that has come to light in recent days so that they can make informed
decisions moving forward, and I will continue to press Equifax to do the right
things to help affected consumers.”
Attorney General DeWine offered the following updates that can be found on
Equifax’s website:
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Arbitration Clauses: Equifax
has stated enrollment in “TrustedID Premier”– their product offered in response
to the breach – will not subject an enrollee to mandatory arbitration. According to Equifax, the arbitration clauses
originally included in the Terms of Use on the site www.equifaxsecurity2017.com have
now been removed, and the Terms of Use on www.equifax.com do not apply to the TrustedID Premier product being
offered to consumers as a result of the breach.
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Waiver of Rights: Equifax has also stated that the Terms of Use
do not create a waiver of class action rights.
Specifically, Equifax states, “ to be as
clear as possible, we will not apply any arbitration clause or class action
waiver against consumers for claims related to the free products offered in
response to the cybersecurity incident or for claims related to the
cybersecurity incident itself.”
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Charge for Security Freeze:
Equifax has agreed to waive fees for placing and removing security
freezes through November 21, 2017. Additionally,
consumers who paid for a security freeze starting at 5:00pm on September 7,
2017 will receive a refund. Note that
you are still required to pay for security freezes through TransUnion and
Experian should you choose to place a freeze there; to do this, you must
contact TransUnion and Experian directly.
To learn more about
the breach, including whether you were affected, and to find updated
information, visit www.equifaxsecurity2017.com or call 866-447-7559.
In response to the
breach, Attorney General DeWine, along with 42 other attorneys general, issued a letter urging
Equifax to reconsider some of its current practices in response to the
breach. Among other things, the letter
asks Equifax to reconsider and cease marketing fee-based products; to extend
the TrustedID Premier enrollment deadline; and to extend the hours to
24-hours-a-day and to properly staff the
call center.
Other tips consumers should consider include:
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Check your credit report. Monitoring your credit report can help you
identify signs of potential identity theft. You are entitled to one free
credit report per year from each of the three major credit reporting
agencies. Visit www.AnnualCreditReport.com to access
those reports. You can pull all three at once, or you can stagger pulling
your reports throughout the year.
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Place an initial fraud alert on your credit
report. Contact one of the three
major credit reporting agencies — Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion — to
place an initial fraud alert, which will stay on your credit report for 90
days. The alert is free of charge and will make it more difficult for
someone to open credit in your name.
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Consider placing a security freeze on your
credit report. A
security freeze essentially puts a lock on your credit so that most third
parties can’t access your report. This helps protect you from unauthorized
accounts being opened in your name. In Ohio, security freezes are
permanent until you lift them.
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Beware of scams related to the breach. Con artists may pretend to have information
about the breach or they may falsely claim to want to help you. Some calls
or messages may be scams designed to steal your money or personal
information. Don’t give out personal information to those who contact you
unexpectedly (even if they say they want to help you) and be wary about
clicking on links or downloading attachments in messages.
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Monitor your bank accounts. Look for suspicious activity. If you find
errors, immediately notify your bank or credit provider.
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When it’s tax season, consider filing early. File your taxes as soon as you have
all of the information necessary to file so that there is less of a chance
for someone to fraudulently file on your behalf. This is especially
important if you know your information has been compromised.
Victims of identity
theft should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at 800-282-0515
or www.OhioProtects.org. Please note that the Ohio Attorney
General recommends checking your credit reports first, and then contacting the
Ohio Attorney General’s Office only if your information appears to have been
misused.
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