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BreachRecord

Equifax, Inc. Data Breach (September 2017): What Was Exposed and What To Do

Last updated Oct 20, 2026 · Based on 4 official filings · See sources

According to the notice filed with the Washington State Attorney General on Sep 7, 2017, Equifax, Inc. reported a data breach. It was also reported to the Maine Attorney General and the California Attorney General. People affected: At least 3,243,664 people in 1 state (Washington residents, Washington State Attorney General filing).

Key facts

From 4 official filings
Organization
Equifax, Inc.
Also filed as: Equifax Inc.
Source: Washington State Attorney General, filed Sep 7, 2017
People affected
At least 3,243,664
At least 3,243,664 people in 1 state (Washington residents, Washington State Attorney General filing)
Source: Washington AG, Sep 7, 2017
Incident dates
May 13, 2017 – Jul 31, 2017
Source: Maine Attorney General, filed Sep 7, 2017
Source: Washington State Attorney General, filed Sep 7, 2017
Discovered Jul 29, 2017
Source: Washington State Attorney General, filed Sep 7, 2017
Notice dates
First filed Sep 7, 2017; latest filing Oct 12, 2017
Source: Washington State Attorney General, filed Sep 7, 2017
Information exposed
  • Social Security number
  • Driver's license
  • Name
Sources: Maine AG, Sep 7, 2017; Maine AG, Oct 12, 2017
Filed with
Free credit monitoring
No offer is stated in the filings we have. Check your letter.

What to do now

Steps chosen from the information listed in the official filings. Your own letter may list more.

  1. A credit freeze stops new credit accounts being opened in your name. It is free by law and you can lift it when you need credit: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

  2. An IP PIN stops someone else filing a tax return with your Social Security number. Get one from the IRS at irs.gov.

  3. Ask your state's DMV what it recommends when a driver's license number has been exposed. Find your state's agency at USA.gov.

  4. Scammers often contact people after a breach, pretending to be the organization, a bank or a government agency. Do not give your Social Security number, passwords or codes to anyone who contacts you first.

  5. You can get free credit reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com, the official site.

  6. The Federal Trade Commission's IdentityTheft.gov gives you a personal recovery plan.

Is the letter real?

The agency published an official copy of the notice. Compare your letter with it:

Letters usually list a phone number for questions. Before calling, check that it matches the number in the official copy linked above.

Never give your Social Security number, bank details or passwords to someone who contacts you first.

Timeline

  1. Incident began (earliest date reported) source
  2. Organization discovered the incident source
  3. Incident ended (latest date reported) source
  4. Reported to Washington AG, Maine AG and California AG source
  5. Latest filing, with Maine AG source

Sources

  1. Washington State Attorney General Notice filed Sep 7, 2017
    Filed as “Equifax, Inc.” · 3,243,664 Washington residents · Official copy of the letter
    The link opens the Attorney General's list of notices.
  2. Maine Attorney General Notice filed Sep 7, 2017
    Filed as “Equifax, Inc.”
    The link opens the Maine Attorney General's archive of notices (2012–2020).
  3. California Attorney General Notice filed Sep 7, 2017
    Filed as “Equifax Inc.”
  4. Maine Attorney General Notice filed Oct 12, 2017
    Filed as “Equifax, Inc.”
    The link opens the Maine Attorney General's archive of notices (2012–2020).

Last updated Oct 20, 2026. Our summaries are written in our own words from the official filings above. Spotted an error? Report a correction.