(CNN) If you are among the 147 million Americans who had their credit data exposed by the 2017 Equifax breach, the deadline to file a claim is approaching quickly. In 2017, Equifax, one of three major credit reporting bureaus, had its database breached , exposing millions of names, addresses, birthdays and Social Security numbers. The Federal Trade Commission ordered Equifax to pay $700 million in individual compensation and civil penalties, the largest settlement ever to be paid for a data breach. If you had your personal data exposed, you are entitled to 10 years of free credit monitoring, or you can choose to receive a $125 payout. However, the FTC requires users to verify their claim by proving they had a credit monitoring service in place at the time they filed for a claim and that it would remain in place for six months after filing.

Source: CNN January 21, 2020 18:11 UTC