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MSE News: Massive Equifax data breach - what you need to know

Former_MSE_Callum
Former_MSE_Callum Posts: 696 Forumite
Third Anniversary 10 Posts I've been Money Tipped! Newshound!
edited 15 September 2017 at 1:20PM in Credit file & ratings
Credit report heavyweight Equifax has warned that millions of people - including some in the UK - may have had their personal details stolen as part of a massive data breach. Info on exactly who's been affected and what you can do about it is sketchy so far, but here's what we know...
Read the full story:
'Massive Equifax data breach - what you need to know'
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Comments

  • StopIt
    StopIt Posts: 1,470 Forumite
    For those who know internet memes: Patrick Stewart Mild Shock Gif here.


    For everyone else. This is just sad, not a shock.


    What is disgusting is that Equifax knew they were hacked for nearly 2 months before telling the public. So people can have had their identities stolen because of this breach yet be left in the dark as to why.


    There needs to be a law in the US, UK and elsewhere that says if your personal information gets leaked, that you are told the moment the company who lost it is aware of it. I think the new EU laws replacing the UK DPA may address this but the US needs to get up to speed also.


    If there has been UK data lost too as well as US data, Equifax needs to tell the UK ICO right now, yesterday even.

    In debt and looking for help? Look here for the MSE Debt Help Guide.
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  • Jezzamk
    Jezzamk Posts: 287 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    It is disgusting that Equifax is letting US citizens check if their data has been hacked but not those in the UK.

    Although I have never used Equifax my data is probably on their systems as data is sourced from all sorts of places.

    I think that they should have their UK licence suspended until we are given the same access as US citizens.

    Due to the nature of the business and the time it has taken them to discover and reveal the data loss I hope that they are given a record fine and forced to compensate all victims.
  • Doc_N
    Doc_N Posts: 8,370 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Jezzamk wrote: »
    It is disgusting that Equifax is letting US citizens check if their data has been hacked but not those in the UK.

    Although I have never used Equifax my data is probably on their systems as data is sourced from all sorts of places.

    I think that they should have their UK licence suspended until we are given the same access as US citizens.

    Due to the nature of the business and the time it has taken them to discover and reveal the data loss I hope that they are given a record fine and forced to compensate all victims.

    Almost a certainty, I'd say, along with most people in the UK. I echo your sentiments. About time somebody came clean on this one.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,163 Community Admin
    10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    At least, if it was in an EU/EEA country, you'd have their equivalent of the Data Protection Act / Information Commissioner to protect and pursue them locally.

    The US (& probably Brexit England ) has inferior data protection rules.
  • cjv
    cjv Posts: 513 Forumite
    Third Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper Newshound!
    For anyone worried about their Clearscore data as they use Equifax, here is their statement:

    https://help.clearscore.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/336/0/information-for-clearscore-customers-about-equifax-us-data-breach

    They state "We do not believe that this incident affects ClearScore".

    Some people also state that they do not believe in Father Christmas, but most of us know he is real so it does not fill me with confidence:D
  • badmemory
    badmemory Posts: 8,314 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    cjv wrote: »
    For anyone worried about their Clearscore data as they use Equifax, here is their statement:

    https://help.clearscore.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/336/0/information-for-clearscore-customers-about-equifax-us-data-breach

    They state "We do not believe that this incident affects ClearScore".

    Some people also state that they do not believe in Father Christmas, but most of us know he is real so it does not fill me with confidence:D

    Nice point!!

    However Clearscore is pretty much irrelevant, because if the hackers have your data via Equifax - well they have your data! It's already too late to worry about clearscore.
  • badmemory
    badmemory Posts: 8,314 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 13 September 2017 at 12:25AM
    Jezzamk wrote: »
    It is disgusting that Equifax is letting US citizens check if their data has been hacked but not those in the UK.

    give me a reason why they would care about the uk, we just provide a bit of additional income that is all any of these DCAs care about.
  • Mersey_2
    Mersey_2 Posts: 1,679 Forumite
    Heng_Leng wrote: »
    At least, if it was in an EU/EEA country, you'd have their equivalent of the Data Protection Act / Information Commissioner to protect and pursue them locally.

    The US (& probably Brexit England ) has inferior data protection rules.



    Of course those in the EU feel the need for a right to privacy. You tend to when you've been spied on and oppressed by fascists and communists in Germany and throughout Eastern Europe.


    Redress is surely the fair comparison. We have toothless fines by the ICO whereas in the USA they in fact have hefty financial penalties for all corporates from HSBC's money laundering to the polluter in the Erin Brokovich film (a true story). Whereas we famously let Goodwin off the hook completely and another was let out after he pretended to be ill.
    Please be polite to OPs and remember this is a site for Claimants and Appellants to seek redress against their bank, ex-boss or retailer. If they wanted morality or the view of the IoD or Bank they'd ask them.
  • What I think is equally amusing is that MSE only woke up to this on the 12th Sep. That's: 5 days after the telegraph story. 6 days after first reports. 6 weeks after Equifax knew 6 months after the hack If it were a new 0% balance transfer offer, you'd have know a week before it happened! Then the article MSE ran was titled : "Massive Equifax data breach - what you need to know" But by the end of the article I realised that MSE had no advice of any significance at all, so given the inevitable worry, maybe ignorance would have been preferable. If after all you are gonna run a stale article, at least bring something new to the party. I'm afraid to say it is a wakeup call. So called 'consumer champions' are only there for us when they can make a buck. On issues like this, they are irrelevant.
  • badmemory
    badmemory Posts: 8,314 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    tenchy started a thread on this on the 8th sorry don't know how to post link!
This discussion has been closed.
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