AT&T customers who were affected by the significant data breaches in 2019 and 2024 still have the opportunity to file claims as part of a $177 million class action settlement. The deadline to submit claims has been extended to December 18, leaving approximately one week for eligible individuals to act.
The first major breach came to light in March 2024, following the appearance of customer data on the dark web. In a subsequent statement, AT&T acknowledged that sensitive information, including addresses, Social Security numbers, and passcodes, was compromised from a database dating back to 2019. A larger breach was identified later in 2024, exposing the phone numbers and communications records of nearly every AT&T customer. This incident occurred between May 1 and October 31, 2022, as well as on January 3, 2023.
Following a class action lawsuit, a court ruling in June mandated that AT&T would distribute $177 million to customers affected between 2019 and 2024. Claimants were categorized into two groups, with those impacted by the March 2024 breach set to receive a total of $149 million and those affected by the later incident sharing $28 million. Users who experienced documented financial losses received direct payments first—up to $5,000 for the first class and $2,500 for the second.
The remaining funds will then be disbursed among the broader pool of customers whose data was also compromised. Customers with proven financial losses had the opportunity to be awarded up to $7,500, which has already been paid out prior to this wider distribution.
Settlement Claim Process
According to the settlement website, affected individuals have until December 18 to claim their share and should have already received a notice with a Class Member ID. If someone wishes to opt out of the settlement or dispute their classification, written requests had to be mailed before November 17.
The final approval hearing for the settlement is scheduled for January 15. To receive payment, claimants must fill out the settlement claim form, which requires the Class Member ID, AT&T account number, or full name, along with necessary payment information.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility varies depending on the class. For Class 1, individuals whose personal identification information was compromised in the March breach are considered eligible. Class 2 includes AT&T account holders whose communications were impacted by the subsequent incident.
Distribution of Settlement Funds
The exact amount that each claimant will receive has not been disclosed. However, precedent in prior class action settlements suggests that individual payouts could be modest, often under $30 after all payments have been issued. Payments are expected to vary based on the severity of the breach and the nature of the exposure.
For Class 1, those whose Social Security numbers were compromised will receive significantly more compensation than those without such losses. Class 2 members who cannot document financial loss will share in the remaining settlement funds.
For further inquiries, stakeholders can reach the settlement hotline at (833) 890-4930 or visit the official settlement website for additional guidance.
Topics
AT&T
Cybersecurity
