Oklahoma Lawyer Files Lawsuit Against Equifax

An Oklahoma City attorney has filed a class action lawsuit against Equifax.

The consumer credit reporting agency announced a data breach in September 2017. Over 145 million Americans are impacted. Attorney Austin Reams says 2.8 million Oklahomans are at risk, which is over half the state’s population.

“What happens 20 years from now, when their identity is taken over or their bank accounts are cleaned out? Equifax may not even exist then,” said Reams. He is skeptical of the actions the bureau has taken since the breach.

Reams noted the company’s executives selling stock just days after they learned about it. “I’m very suspicious of anything that Equifax might be doing.”

Reams filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of all Oklahomans impacted. He estimates it could cost as much as $200 a year for each victim to protect him or herself from identity theft. “$200 times 145 million. That’s $29 billion.” He believes Equifax should cover that bill.

Reams said, “We want to make sure that Equifax pays for and puts forth meaningful identity protection services, things that are going to protect people not just five years into the future, but 20 years into the future or more.”

He also wants an independent audit conducted to show why the data breach happened in the first place.

For information on the class action lawsuit, contact Reams Law in Oklahoma City.