Scherer Co-Sponsors Bill in Response to Equifax Breach

DECATUR, Ill. – In the wake of the Equifax data breach, state Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, is co-sponsoring new legislation that would prevent reporting agencies from charging fees to consumers who wish to freeze their credit report.

“In a data breach, freezing your credit is an important line of defense, and consumers should not be charged a fee to protect themselves,” Scherer said. “It’s unacceptable for credit agencies to be making money off their own security failures.”

According to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, the Equifax data breach is believed to have affected approximately 5.4 million residents in Illinois. Nationwide, it is believed as many as 143 million Americans were susceptible to the data hack. Residents can use a freeze as a tool to help protect themselves from additional account identity theft, but agencies often charge a fee. The Scherer-supported House Bill 4095 would prevent fees from being charged to Illinois consumers if they request a freeze.

“Identity theft can be financially devastating for working families who count on every paycheck,” said Scherer. “This legislation will make it easier and cheaper to prevent identity theft and limit the damage from a stolen identity.”

For more information, please contact Scherer’s constituent service office at 217-877-9636 or by email at StateRepSue@gmail.com. Scherer represents the 96th District, which includes portions of Christian, Macon and Sangamon counties.

 

 

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