DECATUR, Ill. – In response to the recent settlement over the 2017 Equifax security breach, state Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, is encouraging residents to check if their personal financial information was compromised and to file a claim.

“Giant corporations like Equifax that make billions of dollars collecting personal information must be held accountable if they fail to keep that data safe,” Scherer said. “Some people that had their data compromised were the victims of thousands of dollars of fraud. They should be compensated for their financial losses and the time they had to spend dealing with the fallout of the data breach.”

On Monday, Equifax filed a settlement for $600 million, including a Consumer Restitution Fund of up to $425 million. More than 147 million Americans had personal data of some kind stolen from Equifax including credit card numbers, Social Security numbers and other personal information. Equifax will pay those affected by the breach depending on the severity of how their data was compromised.

Scherer is urging those who wish to file a claim or see if they are eligible to visit www.equifaxbreachsettlement.com or https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/cases-proceedings/refunds/equifax-data-breach-settlement for additional details on the settlement. Consumers have until Jan. 1, 2020 to file an initial claim.

“Even if you haven’t seen any suspicious charges on any of your bank or credit card statements, it’s still possible that your data may have been hacked,” Scherer said. “I strongly encourage residents to check to see if their information was compromised and to file a claim to receive some form of recourse.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, D-Chicago, is informing consumers about the Equifax breach settlement that will allow them to check if they were impacted by the historic 2017 data breach and to file a claim to receive restitution from the incident.

“It is unconscionable that one of the largest consumer reporting agencies in the world allowed the largest data breach in history, which affected almost half the population of the United States,” LaPointe said. “Consumers may not even be aware that they have been impacted by the breach, and they should check to see if they can recover some form of credit monitoring or payment.”

Nearly 150 million people’s credit was compromised by the largest data breach Equifax ever encountered in the summer of 2017. To remedy the breach, the Consumer Restitution Fund was created to offer assistance to consumers prevent future data breaches, easily freeze their credit and file a claim to receive $125 from Equifax. LaPointe is encouraging residents to visit www.EquifaxBreachSettlement.com to determine potential eligibility for restitution and details on the settlement.

“More than 5 million Illinoisans’ information was compromised following this breach, which went unnoticed for over two months,” LaPointe said. “Consumers should never doubt that their information is unsecure by the organizations they trust to handle them. I strongly encourage residents to check on the status of a previous claim or file a new one to take precautionary steps to protect themselves.”

LaPointe represents the 19th District, which covers portions of Chicago’s Big Oaks, Dunning, Gladstone Park, Jefferson Park, Portage Park, Union Ridge and West Portage Park neighborhoods, and River Grove, Elmwood Park, Norridge and Harwood Heights.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In response to a recent settlement over the 2017 Equifax security breach, state Rep. Michelle Mussman, D-Schaumburg, is encouraging residents to see if they have been affected and file a claim.

“I’m urging residents who believe they may have been affected by the breach to check their eligibility for a claim on the Equifax settlement website,” Mussman said. “It is evident that even the entities we trust to protect our personal information can be compromised, so it is critical that consumers continue to monitor their credit and file a claim if they have been affected by the breach.”

On Monday, Equifax filed a settlement for $600 million, including a Consumer Restitution Fund of up to $425 million. More than 147 million Americans had personal data of some kind stolen from Equifax including credit card numbers, Social Security numbers and other personal information. Equifax will pay those affected by the breach depending on the severity of how their data was compromised. Those who wish to file a claim or see if they are eligible to do so can visit www.equifaxbreachsettlement.com or visit https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/cases-proceedings/refunds/equifax-data-breach-settlement for additional details on the settlement. Consumers have until Jan. 1, 2020 to file an initial claim.

“People are entitled to compensation from this lapse in security, and it is important to take the steps needed to find out if one’s personal information has been compromised and if they are eligible for a settlement,” Mussman said. “Those affected by the breach can receive free credit monitoring for up to ten years or a cash payout. I encourage all residents to visit the settlement website for more information.”

DES PLAINES, Ill. – Concerned about the financial integrity of consumers in the 55th district, state Rep. Marty Moylan, D-Des Plaines, is warning residents about misinformation surrounding the Equifax data breach that occurred in 2017 and providing information for those effected by the data breach to file a claim.

“The pure size of this data breach is alarming, and I encourage every resident to check to see if they were affected,” said Moylan. “Over 5 million Illinois residents were impacted by the data breach and they now have the opportunity to file claims and receive restitution.”

In September of 2017, Equifax announced a data breach affecting over 147 million consumers, 5.4 million of whom were Illinois residents. Those effected by the breach had information compromised including their names, social security numbers, dates of birth, addresses and credit card numbers. After a global investigation found that Equifax was to blame, the consumer reporting agency was forced into the largest data breach settlement in U.S. history. Consumers can now file claims to qualify for payments from the Consumer Restitution Fund established earlier this week.

Residents who believe they were impacted by the breach can visit www.EquifaxBreachSettlement.com to learn more about the settlement and see if they qualify to receive restitution.

“I understand there is a lot of misinformation regarding the data breach and settlement and we need to make sure that consumers understand the facts on what is happening,” said Moylan. “I encourage everyone to visit the website or contact my office for more information about the data breach and to see if you were impacted and how to take steps to file a claim in the settlement.”

For more information about the data breach or the settlement, please contact Moylan’s full-time constituent office at 847-635-6821 or email StateRepMoylan@gmail.com.

CHICAGO – A measure sponsored by state Rep. Camille Y. Lilly, D-Chicago, that aims to shield consumers from being charged excessive fees for freezing their credit reports is now law in Illinois.

“Last summer, Equifax was breached by a cyberattack, which compromised nearly 145 million Americans’ personal information and data,” Lilly said. “Consumers did not have the necessary protections in place at the time to prevent identify theft without having to pay to freeze their credit files. This new law outlaws companies like Equifax from charging fees when a consumer chooses to freeze their reports at any time.”

Last year, Lilly backed House Bill 4095, which streamlines individuals’ ability to freeze their credit over the phone or electronically. It was discovered that Equifax, one of the nation’s largest credit unions that collects and stores data on more than 800 million people and 88 million businesses worldwide, was impacted by a massive cybersecurity breach last summer. Millions of Illinoisans’ personal information was compromised, and this new law is designed to protect consumers by eliminating costs and burdensome obstacles when they want to protect themselves from future cybercrimes. The measure was signed into law last week.

“It’s unfair to ask consumers to pay to defend themselves, when mistakes happen through no fault of their own,” said Lilly. “Laws like these prioritize the needs and well-being of people and their families, which is something we need to be doing more often.”

Lilly represents Chicago’s West Side, Oak Park, River Grove, Elmwood Park, Franklin Park and Melrose Park. Join her weekly newsletter to stay up to date with events and news from the 78th District.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. –State Rep. Greg Harris, D-Chicago, passed legislation unanimously out of the House today that aims to protect Illinois consumers impacted by the Equifax data breach by preventing credit freeze charges.

“It’s wrong that people are being forced to pay to protect their own identities and financial security because of the errors of others,” Harris said. “We shouldn’t have to pay for the mismanagement and negligence of giant corporations that are collecting personal and sensitive information from consumers.”

Harris worked in conjunction with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to introduce legislation in response to the Equifax data breach. Late last month, Equifax announced it had suffered a massive data breach of sensitive consumer information from May to July of this year, impacting as many as 143 million Americans. In Illinois, the breach is believed to have jeopardized the personal and financial information of more than 5.4 million residents.

After the data breach, Attorney General Madigan encouraged residents to consider placing a freeze on their credit and to sign up for free credit reports to help protect themselves from identity theft. Harris’ proposal, House Bill 4095, would prevent credit agencies like Equifax from charging consumers with a fee to freeze their credit.

“The Equifax data breach was absolutely inexcusable. This legislation is an example of the legislature working swiftly and in a bipartisan fashion to protect consumers,” Harris said. “I urge the Governor to sign this proposal to help victims of the data breach protect themselves.”

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – In the wake of the Equifax data breach, state Rep. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, is sponsoring new legislation that would prevent reporting agencies from charging fees to consumers who wish to freeze their credit report.

“Freezing your credit report can lessen the personal and financial risks of a data breach by preventing identity thieves from opening new accounts in your name,” Halpin said. “Identity theft is a devastating crime, and consumers whose personal information was exposed should be able to protect themselves without having to pay anything.”

According to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, 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 Halpin-supported House Bill 4095 would prevent fees from being charged to Illinois consumers if they request a freeze.

“Big companies that breach consumers’ trust need to be held accountable for their security failures,” Halpin said. “Requiring Equifax and other credit agencies to make freezes available for free prevents them from profiting off their own data breach.”

For more information, please contact Halpin’s full-time constituent service office at 309-558-3612 or at rephalpin@gmail.com.

WESTCHESTER, Ill. – To protect Illinois consumers impacted by the Equifax data breach, state Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, is sponsoring legislation that would prevent credit agencies from charging consumers to freeze their credit.

“People who have had their personal information compromised should not be forced to pay for the mistakes of one of the country’s largest corporate credit reporting agencies,” Welch said. “Equifax promised to keep their customer’s credit information safe from cybercrimes. My legislation protects people from paying unfair costs from being pushed onto them.”

Equifax recently announced it had suffered a massive data breach of sensitive consumer information from May to July of this year, impacting as many as 143 million Americans. In Illinois, the breach is believed to have compromised the personal and financial information of more than 5.4 million residents.

To reduce the potential for identity theft resulting from the data breach, Attorney General Madigan is encouraging residents to consider placing a freeze on their credit and to sign up for free credit reports. Welch is sponsoring House Bill 4095, which would prevent credit agencies like Equifax from charging consumers with a fee to freeze their credit.

“I encourage people to visit Equifax’s website to see if their personal information has been hacked,” Welch said. “Equifax is also offering people a one year cost-free credit monitoring service as a result of this breach. I am fighting to pass this legislation as soon as possible to help everyone affected by this cyber-attack.”

To check to see if your personal information was compromised in this data breach, visit www.equifaxsecurity2017.com.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – To offer greater protection to consumers in the wake of the Equifax data breach, state Rep. Michelle Mussman, D-Schaumburg, is co-sponsoring a bill designed to prevent credit agencies from charging consumers with credit freeze fees to significantly reduce the chances of identity theft after breaches occur.

“The fact that people are being forced to sustain the costs of paying to protect their identity as it relates to financial security, simply due to the negligence of others, is horrendous,” Mussman said. “As powerful corporations begin collecting data on Illinois consumers, there should be a reasonable standard of safety that ensures personal information remains disclosed exclusively to the consumer. Paying for the mismanagement of such corporations is unacceptable.”

Late last week, Equifax announced it had suffered a massive data breach of sensitive consumer information from May to July of this year, impacting as many as 143 million Americans. In Illinois, the breach is believed to have jeopardized the personal and financial information of more than 5.4 million residents.

To reduce the potential for identity theft resulting from the data breach, Attorney General Madigan is encouraging residents to consider placing a freeze on their credit and to sign up for free credit reports. House Bill 4095 would prevent credit agencies like Equifax from charging consumers with a fee to freeze their credit.

“The Attorney General has been working thoroughly on this situation since the news broke that the financial records of 143 million Americans had been compromised,” Mussman said. “The potential exposure Illinois consumers could face as a result of Equifax’s data breach is serious and should be met with precautionary steps to reduce risks. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for all Illinois residents to take action by freezing lines of credit to minimize the further financial harm.”