Laxalt advises Nevada residents to take precautions following Equifax data breach

The Fernley Reporter

Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt addresses consumer concerns and advises residents to take precautions in light of the recent data breach of credit reporting firm Equifax, which is estimated to have affected approximately 1.2 million Nevada residents.

“This breach has hit Nevadans hard,” said Laxalt. “While my office continues to work with other states in this national investigation, it is important that Nevadans contact Equifax and take the necessary steps to prevent further harm to their personal and financial information.”

Laxalt urges residents to exercise caution if you believe you are being notified by Equifax about this breach. Communications received by email may be fraudulent. Nevadans are encouraged to find out if they have been impacted by this breach by visiting www.equifaxsecurity2017.com. To ensure you are visiting the correct website and not one of several illegitimate websites circulated to capitalize on the breach, you may also wish to visit Equifax’s main website at www.equifax.com to access the breach list.

If you have attempted to contact Equifax by phone at 1-866-447-7559 and have been unsuccessful, the company encourages you to reattempt your call. According to Equifax, the number of employees at its dedicated call center has increased. The call center is operational from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. Pacific time (7 a.m. to 1 a.m. Eastern time), seven days a week.

Additionally, some consumers have expressed concern that, by signing up for Equifax’s free credit monitoring and free credit lock service, they are giving up their right to sue by agreeing to an arbitration clause. Equifax recently clarified that it will not be requiring customers to agree to these terms. Furthermore, Equifax has stated that it will no longer require credit card numbers when enrolling in the free service, and consumers will not be automatically renewed or charged for the service at the end of the one-year service period.

For more information on this breach and how to protect yourself, visit the Office of the Nevada Attorney General’s website at www.ag.nv.gov.