Hoosiers encouraged to file for restitution from $19.5 million Equifax settlement

Hoosiers eligible to receive restitution as a result of a 2017 Equifax data breach that exposed the Social Security numbers and other private information of millions of people should quickly file their claims, according to the Indiana Attorney General’s office.

Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is urging Hoosiers to visit IndianaEquifaxClaims.com and file a claim for a restitution payment before the last available day to do so, Dec. 16.

The Equifax data breach occurred from May 2017 to July 2017 and impacted 147 million Americans, including nearly 4 million Indiana residents, the AG’s office said. The breach compromised Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses and, in some cases, driver’s license numbers and credit card information.

Indiana secured a $19.5 million settlement from Equifax and was one of only two states that did not participate in a multistate settlement in July 2019 that distributed $175 million among the participating states.

The millions of Indiana residents impacted by the data breach are eligible for a portion of the $19.5 million Equifax paid the state of Indiana, the AG’s office said. However, many eligible Hoosiers have yet to file claims.

“We structured our settlement with Equifax so that we could give Hoosiers the opportunity to claim money they may have lost due to Equifax’s failure to protect personal information,” Hill said in a statement. “That money is just waiting to be claimed. Now, it’s up to Hoosiers to visit IndianaEquifaxClaims.com and secure their rightful portion of the settlement.”

Hoosiers who were Indiana residents between March 2017 and July 2017 are encouraged to visit the site and enter the required information to file a claim, the AG said. There, Hoosiers will be able to select whether they would like their payment digitally or in the form of a paper check. Payments will be distributed after the Dec. 16 claim deadline.