If Someone Calls You From Equifax To Verify Your Account, It’s A Scam

Image courtesy of Gia Ciccone

Now that Equifax is part of the mass public consciousness for failing to secure sensitive financial and personal information for about half of the adult U.S. population, soulless scammers are trying to prey on this heightened awareness by blasting out fake calls to people, asking them to verify their account information.

This morning, the Federal Trade Commission — which is currently investigating the data breach — posted a consumer fraud alert, warning Americans that Equifax is not trying to call you, no matter what some jerk on the phone claims.

READ MORE: 4 Things To Remember To Avoid Getting Scammed In Wake Of Equifax Breach

The FTC says that if you receive a call from someone claiming to be from Equifax, just hang up.

“Don’t tell them anything,” writes the FTC. “They’re not from Equifax. It’s a scam. Equifax will not call you out of the blue.”

Don’t press any buttons, give them any info. Just hang up and get on with your day.

To help the FTC catch these scammers, you should also report the bogus call via the FTC’s online complaint portal. Every little bit of information the FTC gets about these calls can aid in tracing them back to the amoral morons who think this is an acceptable way to make a buck.

If you are worried that there is some extraordinary reason that Equifax would be calling you out of all the 143 million people affected by this breach, you can always call the company back at 866-447-7559.

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.