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MSE News: Massive Equifax data breach - what you need to know
Former_MSE_Callum
Posts: 696 Forumite
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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'Massive Equifax data breach - what you need to know'
Click reply below to discuss. If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply.
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Comments
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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.
Also, If you need any free and impartial debt advice, the National Debtline, Stepchange, and the CAB can help.0 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
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:D0 -
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.0 -
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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.0 -
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.0
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tenchy started a thread on this on the 8th sorry don't know how to post link!0
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