$700M Equifax Data Breach Settlement, Claim Deadlines Are Closed Here’s What You Can Still Get for Free in 2026

The 2017 Equifax data breach exposed the personal information of approximately 147 million Americans — and the resulting $700 million settlement with the FTC, CFPB, and 50 state attorneys general remains one of the largest consumer data breach settlements in U.S. history. All claim filing deadlines have now passed — the extended claims period ended January 22, 2026. However, several free benefits from the settlement remain active, and payments continue to go out to consumers who filed valid claims before the deadline closed.

Field	Detail
Defendant	Equifax Inc.
Total Settlement Value	Up to $700 million
Consumer Fund	$425 million
FTC/Government Civil Penalty	$100 million (paid to CFPB)
Breach Date	May–July 2017
Breach Announced	September 7, 2017
People Affected	~147 million Americans
Data Exposed	SSNs, birth dates, addresses, driver’s licence numbers, credit card numbers
Settlement Final Approval	January 13, 2020
Original Claim Deadline	January 22, 2020
Extended Claims Deadline	January 22, 2024 (out-of-pocket losses)
Extended Claims Period End	January 22, 2026
Settlement Administrator	JND Legal Administration
Official Website	EquifaxBreachSettlement.com
Administrator Phone	1-833-759-2982

What Equifax Did — and Why the FTC Came After Them

The FTC found that Equifax was alerted in March 2017 to a critical vulnerability in its database that handles personal consumer data, but Equifax failed to patch it until July 2017 when it started detecting suspicious network traffic. By then, hackers had already been inside the system.

The data that hackers were able to access included Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, driver’s licence numbers and credit card numbers — described as a “staggering” amount of sensitive personal data. Regulators from the FTC, the CFPB, and attorneys general from all 50 states and territories concluded Equifax failed to maintain adequate cybersecurity protections for consumer data it was legally obligated to protect.

Equifax denied wrongdoing but agreed to pay up to $700 million and to make significant security improvements, including annual internal audits, bi-annual third-party assessments, and stricter vendor data protection requirements.

Related article: Facebook Paid the FTC $5 Billion for Privacy Violations — Here’s What They Did, What the Order Required, and Whether Any Money Went to Users

All Claim Deadlines Have Passed — Here’s the Timeline of What Closed When

Class members originally had six months — until January 22, 2020 — to claim benefits including cash payments and free credit monitoring.

An extended claims period then allowed consumers who incurred expenses between January 23, 2020 and January 22, 2024 due to identity theft or fraud related to the breach — such as professional fees paid to accountants or lawyers, notary fees, document shipping, postage, mileage, and phone charges — to file claims for those ongoing losses.

The extended claims period ended on January 22, 2026. No new claims can be filed. If you did not file before that date, you cannot submit a new claim.

Got a Prepaid Card Email From EquifaxBreachSettlement.com? Here’s What to Do

Many people have received emails in 2024 and 2025 about additional Equifax settlement payments and are wondering if they are legitimate.

In August 2025, the settlement administrator added additional settlement funds to many prepaid cards already issued to valid claimants. You can get information about activating the card from the card servicer at equifaxbreachsettlement.com/activate-prepaid-card, which also provides a link to redeem your card — and you can request the card be resent if needed.

Legitimate emails about additional Equifax settlement payments come from [email protected] — an address verified by the FTC. Anyone with questions about payments should contact settlement administrator JND Legal Administration at [email protected] or by calling 1-833-759-2982.

If any email about your Equifax settlement payment asks you to pay a fee, provide bank account numbers, or send gift cards — that is a scam. The settlement never requires payment to receive a refund.

What the $700 Million Equifax Settlement Actually Paid Out

The settlement allowed consumers to claim up to $20,000 to cover losses fairly traceable to the breach — including the cost of freezing or unfreezing credit files, buying credit monitoring services, out-of-pocket losses from identity theft or fraud, professional fees paid to accountants or attorneys, and 25% of any money paid to Equifax for credit monitoring or identity theft protection subscription products in the year before the breach.

Consumers could also claim compensation for up to 20 hours at $25 per hour for time spent dealing with the breach or taking preventive measures — with 10 of those hours self-certified requiring no documentation.

Class members who submitted valid out-of-pocket loss claims are expected to be completely reimbursed for losses fairly traceable to the breach. The cash payment option of $125 — available instead of credit monitoring — was reduced significantly from the advertised amount because the number of claims filed far exceeded what the fund could cover at full value.

Free Benefits That Are Still Available to You Right Now

Even though all claim deadlines have passed, two free benefits from the Equifax settlement remain active and available to every eligible consumer.

Free Identity Restoration Services: Free identity theft recovery services remain available through at least January 2029 — seven years after January 2022 — for anyone affected by the breach. You do not need to have filed a claim to access these services. Contact the settlement administrator at 1-833-759-2982.

Free Equifax Credit Reports: All U.S. consumers are allotted seven free Equifax credit reports per year through 2026 via AnnualCreditReport.com. This is in addition to the standard free annual reports you are entitled to from all three bureaus.

Check If Your Data Was Exposed: You can still confirm whether your personal data was exposed in the Equifax breach at EquifaxBreachSettlement.com — even though the claims window is now closed.

Key Dates in the Equifax Data Breach Settlement

Milestone	Date
Equifax alerted to critical security vulnerability	March 2017
Breach period (hackers inside Equifax systems)	May–July 2017
Equifax publicly announces the breach	September 7, 2017
FTC, CFPB, and 50 state AGs file actions	July 2019
Settlement receives final approval	January 13, 2020
Original claim filing deadline	January 22, 2020
Extended claims period opens (ongoing losses)	January 23, 2020
Extended claims period deadline (ongoing losses)	January 22, 2024
Cash payments begin (approved claims)	December 2022
Final extended claims period closes	January 22, 2026
Additional prepaid card funds added	August 2025
Free identity restoration services available through	January 2029
Free Equifax credit reports (7/year) available through	2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still file a claim for the Equifax data breach settlement?

 No. The final claim deadline passed on January 22, 2026. No new claims can be filed. If you missed all deadlines, you are no longer eligible to receive a cash payment or reimbursement from the settlement fund.

I got an email about an additional Equifax prepaid card payment. Is it real?

 It may be. Legitimate emails come from [email protected] and direct you to equifaxbreachsettlement.com/activate-prepaid-card to redeem your funds. If the email asks for payment, bank details, or gift cards to release your money — it is a scam. Contact JND at 1-833-759-2982 to verify any communication.

How much did people actually receive from the Equifax settlement?

 It varied widely. Consumers with valid out-of-pocket loss claims are expected to be fully reimbursed for verified losses traceable to the breach — up to $20,000. Consumers who chose the $125 cash alternative instead of credit monitoring received significantly less than $125 because the volume of claims far outpaced what the fund could cover at the advertised rate.

Did Equifax admit it was responsible for the breach?

 Equifax denied wrongdoing as part of the settlement — a standard outcome in large corporate settlements. The company paid $700 million and agreed to wide-ranging cybersecurity reforms without a formal judicial finding of liability.

What free help is still available if my identity was stolen due to the breach?

 Free identity theft recovery services remain available through at least January 2029. These services help you recover from identity theft regardless of whether you previously filed a claim. Call 1-833-759-2982 or visit EquifaxBreachSettlement.com to access them.

Who else was involved in the Equifax settlement besides the FTC?

 The settlement was reached jointly by the FTC, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) — which received the $100 million civil penalty — and attorneys general from all 50 U.S. states and territories. It remains one of the most broadly coordinated consumer data breach settlements ever reached against a single company.

What security changes did Equifax have to make? 

Under the settlement, Equifax must conduct annual internal audits, undergo bi-annual third-party security assessments, and strengthen its vendor data protection requirements. The reforms were designed to prevent a repeat of the systemic security failures that allowed the 2017 breach to go undetected for months.

Sources & References

• FTC Official Equifax Settlement Page: ftc.gov/enforcement/refunds/equifax-data-breach-settlement
• Official Settlement Website: EquifaxBreachSettlement.com
• CFPB Equifax Settlement Page: consumerfinance.gov/equifax-settlement
• FTC Consumer Advice — Free Credit Reports: consumer.ftc.gov/articles/free-credit-reports

Last Updated: March 28, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. All claim filing deadlines for the Equifax data breach settlement have passed. For questions about your specific claim status, contact JND Legal Administration at 1-833-759-2982 or visit EquifaxBreachSettlement.com.