New warning for Equifax data breach victims
Scammers are now in position to take advantage of victms of the Equifax breach.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (NSF) - Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is warning consumers about a new phishing scam, targeting people who were already victimized by a data breach of the credit monitoring company Equifax.
An agreement reached between Equifax and most attorneys general across the country, including Moody, set up a $425 million fund to help those affected by a 2017 data breach that impacted nearly half of all Americans.
Now, scammers are creating fake claims websites, to again gain access to personal information from Floridians. Moody said the phishing scam is successful because it mimics the real claims process.
“People are trying to take advantage of those that have already had their personal information taken through this historic data breach,” Moody said. “They are now asking them to go to a false, fraudulent website and again enter and expose their personal information.”
Moody said consumers should never respond to unsolicited emails asking for Social Security numbers, bank account details or other personal information.
Anyone who was a victim of the Equifax data breach and wants to file a claim should visit the official claims website, which is EquifaxBreachSettlement.com. Floridians who feel they may have fallen for the new phishing scheme should contact the attorney general’s office.