But there are some occasions where an authentic email offers you money or a free service. But it most likely comes with a caveat. Such correspondence is usually linked to settlements of class-action lawsuits, but you must check the validity. Read on to see how a recent email can net you a few extra bucks in your wallet or free credit monitoring for four years.
Here’s the backstory
Do you remember the massive Equifax data breach in July of 2017? Over 147 million Americans’ details were stolen, including Social Security numbers, dates of birth and home addresses. Well, a fan of Kim’s radio show received an email with an offer of free credit monitoring due to the breach. It’s been such a long time that the email can easily seem like spam, especially when it asks for your Social Security number. Fortunately for the listener, it is a legitimate email. Victims of the data breach had until January of 2022 to lodge a claim with Equifax. Those who opted to receive four years of free credit monitoring instead of the cash settlement received similar emails.
What you can do about it
You should hurry if you took the free credit monitoring and haven’t activated it yet. Emails with all the details were sent out in February, and the deadline for activating the service is June 27, 2022. Your activation code will not work after this date. But don’t assume that every email from Equifax is genuine. Any emails regarding the credit monitoring or settlement payout will only come from the Equifax Breach Settlement Administrator email address info@equifaxbreachsettlement.com. If you already received the email or letter with your activation code, visit the Experian IdentityWorks website at www.experianidworks.com/equifaxsettlement and click on Get Started. The page will redirect to a secure server where you must complete the signup process and enter the Activation Code. This is the only web address linked to the credit monitoring offer. You shouldn’t enter your details on any other website. Keep in mind that, to protect your identity against fraud, you must supply some sensitive information. The listener was initially cautious, as you must enter your SSN. But those details are needed for your protection. This, again, makes it imperative that you visit the genuine Experian IdentityWorks website. Scammers will undoubtedly piggyback on these settlement emails and send spoofed versions with malicious links.
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