LANSING – Last week, Equifax announced a giant cybersecurity breach compromised the personal information of as many as 143 million Americans — almost half the country.
Cyber criminals have accessed sensitive information -- including names, social security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and the numbers of some driver's licenses.
ALSO SEE: Equifax hack: Steps to help protect your information from being misused
Friday, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced Michigan would join a multi-state investigation, with more than 40 other state Attorney Generals, to demand answers from Equifax and to take steps to help anyone whose credit score may be impacted.
More than 4 million Michigan residents affected
In a press release, Schuette says more than four million Michigan residents were impacted by the breach.
“Over the last week, my office has worked with Attorneys General across the country to launch an investigation and issue a letter demanding better customer service from Equifax,” said Schuette. “While the investigation is ongoing, it is important that Michigan residents determine if they were affected by the breach and take steps to monitor their credit reports and their bank accounts and credit card statements, and report any suspicious activity immediately."
Complaints to the Department of Attorney General are significant and the number continues to grow.
“I strongly encourage those who believe their personal information was compromised to file a complaint with my office,” Schuette added. “It is indefensible that they be forced to pay fees to fully protect themselves from the fallout of Equifax’s data breach. I encourage everyone who has been affected to report their experience to my office.”
Equifax, one of the primary credit reporting agencies in the United States, claims it learned of the breach on July 29, 2017 and that it occurred from mid-May through July 2017. The party responsible for the hack is still unknown.