Equifax: Breach Exposed Social Security, Other Data From 143 Million Americans

HOLD FOR JENNY KANE   In this Saturday, July 21, 2012, photo Equifax Inc., offices are seen, in Atlanta. Equifax Inc. is a consumer credit reporting agency in the United States. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
This July 21, 2012, photo shows Equifax Inc., offices in Atlanta. Credit monitoring company Equifax says a breach exposed social security numbers and other data from about 143 million Americans. The Atlanta-based com... This July 21, 2012, photo shows Equifax Inc., offices in Atlanta. Credit monitoring company Equifax says a breach exposed social security numbers and other data from about 143 million Americans. The Atlanta-based company said Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, that "criminals" exploited a U.S. website application to access files between mid-May and July of this year. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) MORE LESS

ATLANTA (AP) — Credit monitoring company Equifax says a breach exposed social security numbers and other data from about 143 million Americans.

The Atlanta-based company said Thursday that “criminals” exploited a U.S. website application to access files between mid-May and July of this year.

It said consumers’ names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some cases, driver’s license numbers were exposed. Credit card numbers for about 209,000 U.S. consumers were also accessed.

The company said hackers also accessed some “limited personal information” from British and Canadian residents.

Equifax said it doesn’t believe that any consumers from other countries were affected.

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  1. Let me guess, they were all registered Democrats?

  2. Avatar for buck buck says:

    143 million Americans - that’s significantly more than half the adult population of the US. Do they all get a free year of credit monitoring? Bet those stocks just went up.

    If anyone is using any form of their birthdate, address, DL# or SS# as a password for anything (never a good idea anyway), now’s probably a good time to change it.

  3. And now this:

    ZDNet editor Zack Whittaker notes that anyone who signs up for Equifax’s free credit monitoring service to see if their personal information has been compromised must sign away the right to participate in any class action lawsuit against the company.

    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/09/busted-equifax-forces-hacked-customers-to-waive-right-to-sue-in-exchange-for-using-its-credit-service/

    Wondering: Did any of Comrade Cockholster’s lenders ever check his Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion reports?

    ETA:

    Eric Schneiderman ‏Verified account @AGSchneiderman

    This language is unacceptable and unenforceable. My staff has already contacted @Equifax to demand that they remove it.

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