Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel today announced that her office, along with 48 other attorneys general, have reached a settlement with Equifax over a data breach.
In 2017 Equifax suffered one of the largest data breaches in history - impacting nearly half of the U.S. population.
The breach impacted social security numbers, dates of birth, and addresses, among other things.
Kelly Rossman-McKinney is with the Attorney General’s Office. She said Equifax will pay up to $425 million to consumers and $175 million to states.
“Our share of that is a little over $4.6 million that goes to the state,” Rossman-McKinney said.
Rossman-McKinney said breaches like the one experienced by Equifax are becoming more common and people should make sure to protect themselves. For those impacted by the Equifax breach the company has agreed to provide some support.
“In addition to the financial settlement Equifax also agreed to take several steps to help consumers who are already facing identity theft issues or who already had their identity stolen,” Rossman-McKinney said.
The assistance includes making it easier for people to freeze and thaw their credit as well as avenues for disputing inaccurate credit report information.
Rossman-McKinney said anyone whose data was provided to Equifax should submit claims online or by mail.
To find out if you are eligible for part of the settlement or to submit a claim visit