Equifax hack checker is a hot mess

The tool they created to let you know if yourinfo has ben hacked, responds to bogus names and six random numbers. I just put in two bogus names and two different numbers. One was listed as breached, the other not.

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That tool, however, might need a check of its own.

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The way it works is: You enter your last name and the last six digits of your social security number. Then, Equifax gives you one of two results:

Equifax will let you know that you may have been impacted.
Equifax will let you know you were not impacted.

Something is not quite right with the results, though, as ZDNET's Zack Whittaker discovered. The tool provides random results, even for fictional names and social security numbers. I tested this myself with the last name "Hellomoto" and a random string of digits. Turns out that the person with the last name Hellomoto was not impacted.

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Is Equifax's tool completely useless? The random results suggest that it can't be fully trusted, as it doesn't return errors for bogus entries and, in some cases, confirms that made-up people were affected. Equifax has already revised its tool once to provide more clear results (it previously didn't explicitly tell users they were impacted) but could be further improved -- or fixed.

Editor's note, Sept. 9: Revised to reflect that Equifax made changes to its tool, but didn't address the bogus entry issue. Further clarified what happens when bogus entries are used in the tool.

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LINK
Hack Checker

On a positive note:

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2). NO WAIVER OF RIGHTS FOR THIS CYBER SECURITY INCIDENT
In response to consumer inquiries, we have made it clear that the arbitration clause and class action waiver included in the Equifax and TrustedID Premier terms of use does not apply to this cybersecurity incident.

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