In a major buzz kill for consumers awaiting their checks, the Federal Trade Commission just updated its website with disappointing news: No, you aren’t getting US$125 because of the Equifax Inc. data breach.
Less than 24 hours ago, the FTC’s Equifax settlement website stated simply that claimants could file for a US$125 payout. By Thursday morning, the page no longer promised US$125 and encouraged affected consumers to opt for as much as a decade of free credit monitoring instead.
“The market value of this product is hundreds of dollars per year,” the FTC now says on the website. “You can still choose the cash option on the claim form, but you will be disappointed with the amount you receive and you won’t get the free credit monitoring.”
An FTC representative didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on the change.
In the site’s frequently asked questions section, the FTC addressed a claimant who might wonder, “I thought I could choose US$125 instead of free credit monitoring. What happened?” The FTC’s answer: The overwhelming response to the settlement has chipped away at the US$31 million amount available for compensation. Those who now choose a check over credit monitoring will get a “very small amount. Nowhere near the US$125 they could have gotten if there hadn’t been such an enormous number of claims filed.”
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