Statewide—Attorney General Curtis Hill announced that Indiana will receive $19.5 million under a settlement reached with Equifax following Indiana’s lawsuit against the company over its massive 2017 data breach.
Indiana was one of two states that opted not to participate in a multistate settlement in July 2019 — choosing instead to file its own lawsuit and ultimately negotiate its own settlement with Equifax, one of the world’s largest credit-reporting bureaus.
Hoosiers who may be eligible for restitution payments through Indiana’s specific case should watch for further announcements and follow a claims process to be outlined at a later date.
The Equifax data breach, which occurred from May 2017 through July 2017, affected approximately 147 million Americans, including 3.9 million Indiana residents. It compromised Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses and, in some cases, driver’s license numbers and credit card information. Indiana’s lawsuit notably contained allegations about Equifax’s failure to adequately secure consumers’ information; misrepresentations related to Payment Card Industry security standards; misrepresentations about the status of Equifax’s information security; failure to notify Indiana consumers in compliance with Indiana law; and failure to maintain reasonable security procedures.
