Equifax says data from 143 million Americans exposed in hack

SAN FRANCISCO -- Credit-monitoring company Equifax has been hit by a high-tech heist that exposed the Social-Security numbers and other data of about 143 million Americans. Now those people have to worry about the threat of having their identities stolen.

The Atlanta-based company said Thursday "criminals" exploited a U.S. website application to access files between mid-May and July of this year.

The theft obtained consumers' names, Social-Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some cases, driver's-license numbers.

Such sensitive information can be enough for crooks to hijack the identities of people whose credentials were stolen through no fault of their own, potentially wreaking havoc on the victims' lives.

Equifax discovered the hack July 29 but waited until Thursday to warn consumers.

The Atlanta-based company has set up a special website, equifaxsecurity2017.com, where people can check to see whether their personal information may have been stolen.

Consumers also can call (866) 447-7559 for more information.