AT&T customers affected by 2024 breach qualify for even more than expected

We first reported on a major AT&T data breach settlement back in August, which at the time was set to pay up to $177 million in total, with impacted customers able to claim upwards of $5,000. While this was originally supposed to happen back in November, it seems the dates and planned payouts have shifted a bit. As first reported by IBT, the final breakdown will see some users paid as much as $7,500, and the new deadline to file is December 18.

Before we get into who is eligible and how to file, let’s talk a bit about this breach for those who aren’t in the know. Data breaches have become so common among the big three carriers that it’s not unusual for multiple small breaches to occur in the same year. That said, AT&T had a particularly bad year in 2024 and was hit by two major breaches that cumulatively resulted in the leak of personal information, including email addresses, billing account numbers, metadata for phone numbers and calls, and even Social Security numbers in some cases.

Exact payment amounts will ultimately depend on how badly a user was impacted. As for who qualifies? There are roughly three tiers here:

• Users with an exposed social security number: These are eligible for the highest payment, up to $7,500.
• Users with other personal information exposed: These users will be eligible for roughly $400 to $700.
• Second breach users with metadata exposure: Those impacted by the lesser of the two breaches will see around $100-$200, typically.

Users impacted by both breaches are potentially eligible for even more, though exact amounts aren’t set in stone. If you have been contacted by AT&T or a settlement administrator through email or snail mail, you are eligible to file. To file a claim, you’ll want to go to the official settlement website and log in using the Class Member ID information given to you by email or mail. Be aware that there are short wait times before you get started with the claims process, usually around a few minutes in length.

What if you have proof you were impacted but didn’t get notice? The good news is you can manually file a claim by printing a copy of the form and sending it in through traditional mail at the address: AT&T Data Incident Settlement; c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC; P.O. Box 5324; New York, NY 10150-5324. You can also call the settlement administrator and potentially get verified for eligibility by calling 833-890-4930.

Once you’ve filled everything out, you’ll have to wait until early 2026 before anything happens. After the new year rings in a concluding session will endorse the agreement, and the schedule of payments will be determined. Typically, actual payments can take another six months or even longer before they actually reach users.