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<DIV>Greetings to all!</DIV>
<DIV>Received from DebbieAzzarone, a member in the Northeast Chapter of the
NFB
and editor of the Blind Vine, Vision Loss Alliance.</DIV>
<DIV>Please read and share with others.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Joe </DIV>
<DIV>**</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>Hello Viners,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Here's a public service announcement:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Read this article from the Patch. Inside it, there's a link in which
you
can</DIV>
<DIV>find out if your data was compromised, and instructions for filing a
claim.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Look for this link.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"Equifax has a tool so people can check whether they were impacted by
the</DIV>
<DIV>Equifax breach."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>****************</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Millions In NJ Exposed In Equifax Data Breach: How To File Claims
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>New Jersey received $6.36 million as part of the Equifax settlement.
Find</DIV>
<DIV>out if you were impacted and how to file a claim. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>By <<A
href="https://patch.com/users/tom-davis">https://patch.com/users/tom-davis</A>>
Tom Davis, Patch Staff </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Jul 26, 2019 8:29 am ET | Updated Jul 26, 2019 9:30 am ET </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>{{ replyButtonLabel }} Reply </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>(Shutterstock photo) </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Millions of New Jerseyans are among those eligible for restitution from
the</DIV>
<DIV>$700 million settlement over the Equifax security breach. The
credit</DIV>
<DIV>reporting company has opened an online portal where impacted consumers
can</DIV>
<DIV>file claims online.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>A multi-state investigation into what is one of the largest breaches
ever
of</DIV>
<DIV>consumer data showed that the sensitive information of an estimated
56</DIV>
<DIV>percent of adults was compromised.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Investigators found that Equifax failed to patch a vulnerability in
its</DIV>
<DIV>security monitoring system that went undetected for 76 days in 2017.
The</DIV>
<DIV>breach exposed the Social Security numbers, names, dates of
birth,</DIV>
<DIV>addresses, credit card numbers and/or driver's license numbers of more
than</DIV>
<DIV>4 million New Jersey residents and more than 147 million
Americans</DIV>
<DIV>nationwide.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"We all know that the troves of personal information housed in
company</DIV>
<DIV>databases are targets for criminal hackers," said Attorney General
Gurbir</DIV>
<DIV>Grewal. "So consumers should be able to feel confident that companies
are</DIV>
<DIV>taking appropriate steps to safeguard their data. Equifax failed
its</DIV>
<DIV>customers on a massive and unprecedented scale, and today it is paying
the</DIV>
<DIV>price. I am proud that our new Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Section
played</DIV>
<DIV>a leading role in bringing justice to the millions of New Jersey
residents</DIV>
<DIV>who were affected."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Equifax agreed to pay a total of $175 million to states that were part
of</DIV>
<DIV>the suit, including $6.36 million for New Jersey. An additional $425
million</DIV>
<DIV>was set aside for individual customer restitution.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>These are some of the services Equifax will offer to those affected as
part</DIV>
<DIV>of the restitution plan, according to the settlement agreement</DIV>
<DIV><<A
href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/172_3203_equifax_proposed_">https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/172_3203_equifax_proposed_</A></DIV>
<DIV>order_7-22-19.pdf> :</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>* Free credit-monitoring services for 10 years to
those
impacted.</DIV>
<DIV>Those who already have credit-monitoring may apply for a $125
credit.</DIV>
<DIV>* Cash payments up to $20,000.</DIV>
<DIV>* Seven years of identity-restoration services.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The settlement outlines measures Equifax must take to protect personal
data,</DIV>
<DIV>including weekly security checks and reports as well as studying ways
to</DIV>
<DIV>reduce reliance on Social Security numbers. It must also handle the
millions</DIV>
<DIV>of claims filed by affected customers.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>What To Do If Impacted By The Equifax Breach</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Equifax has a tool so people can check whether they were impacted by
the</DIV>
<DIV>Equifax breach</DIV>
<DIV><<A
href="https://eligibility.equifaxbreachsettlement.com/en/eligibility">https://eligibility.equifaxbreachsettlement.com/en/eligibility</A>>
and are</DIV>
<DIV>eligible for part of the settlement.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Those impacted can file a claim with Equifax</DIV>
<DIV><<A
href="https://www.equifaxbreachsettlement.com/file-a-claim">https://www.equifaxbreachsettlement.com/file-a-claim</A>>
on the settlement</DIV>
<DIV>page.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>There is also a portal through the Federal Trade Commission dedicated
to
the</DIV>
<DIV>Equifax data breach settlement</DIV>
<DIV><<A
href="https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/cases-proceedings/refunds/equifax-data-brea">https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/cases-proceedings/refunds/equifax-data-brea</A></DIV>
<DIV>ch-settlement> , where the claims page became active Wednesday, July
24.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>How To Protect Your Personal Information</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>These steps can help protect your information, according to the
Federal</DIV>
<DIV>Trade Commission</DIV>
<DIV><<A
href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2019/07/equifax-pay-575-mill">https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2019/07/equifax-pay-575-mill</A></DIV>
<DIV>ion-part-settlement-ftc-cfpb-states-related> :</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>* Get a free credit report at
www.annualcreditreport.com</DIV>
<DIV><<A
href="https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action">https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action</A>>
or by calling</DIV>
<DIV>877-322-8228.</DIV>
<DIV>* Call the Equifax settlement administrator at
1-833-759-2982.</DIV>
<DIV>* Take advantage of any free services being
offered</DIV>
<DIV><<A
href="https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/cases-proceedings/refunds/equifax-data-brea">https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/cases-proceedings/refunds/equifax-data-brea</A></DIV>
<DIV>ch-settlement> as a result of the breach.</DIV>
<DIV>* Use two-factor authentication on your online
accounts
whenever</DIV>
<DIV>available.</DIV>
<DIV>* Consider a credit freeze</DIV>
<DIV><<A
href="http://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/Pages/IdentityTheft/freezing.aspx">http://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/Pages/IdentityTheft/freezing.aspx</A>>
.</DIV>
<DIV>* Monitor your accounts.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>With reporting by Elizabeth Janney, Patch</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>**********</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Your Blind Vine Team</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it
back</DIV>
<DIV>to you when you have forgotten the words." -Unknown</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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