Equifax Lands $7.25 Million Contract with IRS

Equifax has received a $7.25 million contract from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to verify the identities of taxpayers and provide fraud prevention services, according to a Politico report.

The credit monitoring agency, which has been under siege by consumers and legislators since it disclosed its massive breach of sensitive personally identifiable information on up to 145.5 million Americans, was awarded the deal under a no-bid contract on Sept. 30, which marks the end of the fiscal year for the federal government. Equifax disclosed its breach on July 29.

Legislators took the IRS to task for its decision to issue a contract to Equifax. "In the wake of one of the most massive data breaches in a decade, it's irresponsible for the IRS to turn over millions in taxpayer dollars to a company that has yet to offer a succinct answer on how at least 145 million Americans had personally identifiable information exposed," Orrin Hatch, (R-Utah) and Senate Finance chairman, was quoted in Politico.

Read more about the IRS contract here.

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