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.
Indiana’s total $19.5 million settlement exceeds the amount received by any of the 48 states that participated in the multistate settlement, which distributed $175 million to participating states. The full amount of Indiana's settlement provides restitution payments to Indiana’s affected consumers, minus the cost of administering those payments.
“We knew back in 2019 that we could get a better deal for Hoosiers than the amounts being discussed as part of the multistate settlement,” Attorney General Hill said. “In our own direct negotiations with Equifax representatives, we made sure to prioritize restitution payments for consumers affected by this preventable breach.”
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.
“Equifax failed to adequately protect Indiana residents whose personal information was exposed by the breach,” Attorney General Hill said. “We have worked diligently to hold Equifax accountable and achieve the best possible resolution. Equifax has agreed to correct its security deficiencies and properly safeguard consumers’ information in the future.”