What to Do If Your Personal Information Was Compromised in the Equifax Data Breach
One of the three major consumer credit reporting agencies has some bad news. Equifax announced on Thursday that hackers had gained access to sensitive information for 143 million American consumers.
Compromised information includes Social Security numbers, driver license numbers, birth dates, addresses and names. In addition, the company said in a statement that credit card numbers for about 209,000 consumers were also compromised in the hack.
Hackers gained access to certain files in the company's system between mid-May and July. Equifax found out about the hacking on July 29 and it says that since that date, it's found no evidence of unauthorized activity. Equifax has reported the breach to law enforcement, and the agency said it's also hired a cybersecurity firm to conduct a review to determine the scale of the breach.
What You Can Do
Since the company announced the intrusion, it's established a dedicated website where you can go to see if your information has been compromised. You can head to the Enroll page of the site, enter your last name and last six digits of your Social Security number. Equifax will then tell you whether or not your personal information may have been compromised.
By enrolling, users may waive their right to take part in a class action lawsuit against Equifax at a later date.
You'll then have the option of whether or not you want to enroll in a complimentary year of Equifax TrustedID Premier. TrustedID Premier is the complimentary identity theft protection and credit file monitoring product Equifax is offering after you check to see if you were affected, regardless if your info was compromised. Equifax says that the enrollment process could take several days, so you'll get a unique enrollment date. Keep in mind the enrollment period ends on November 21, 2017.
Regarding the possible waiver of the right to take part in a class action, Equifax said, responding to a question by New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, that the arbitration clause in question does not apply to the hacking incident:
Equifax is recommending that you get a free copy of your credit report from the three major bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. In addition, Equifax says that if you believe any of your information was stolen, you should contact a law enforcement agency.
If your information was compromised, you could also consider freezing your credit reports. As MarketWatch reports, contact Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to request a freeze on your reports and will prevent anyone from opening a new account. It comes with a small fee, but that could be worth it to avoid any issues in the near- or long-term future.
Not long after Equifax announced the breach, a class-action lawsuit was filed against the company. In the complaint, which was filed in Portland, Oregon, users say that Equifax was negligent in protecting consumer data and chose instead to save money instead of implementing safeguards. Equifax hasn't commented on the lawsuit.
This post has been amended first to reflect that users may waive some of their legal rights by signing up for Equifax's TrustedID Premier monitoring service, and then to indicate that Equifax has stated that this waiver would not apply to the hacking incident.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees