T-Mobile subscribers will receive their disappointing data breach settlement checks soon
T-Mobile's big 2021 data breach led to the second-largest data breach settlement in the U.S. with the $350 million fund signed off on by both sides of the class action lawsuit. That figure is half of the $700 million settlement Equifax got hit with in 2019. If you're a T-Mobile subscriber and never got around to putting a claim in, it's too late. If you already have a claim in, it's just a matter of sitting back and waiting for the funds to arrive.
If you're expecting to receive part of the settlement, do not expect it to change your life. If you're among the few who could prove that the data breach cost them some serious coin, you will be considered a priority and could receive as much as $25,000. But a payment this large is reserved for those who can show that they had to spend big bucks to counter fraud or identity theft that can be traced back to the T-Mobile data breach.
The T-Mobile customers considered priorities had to show proof that they lost money because of the time it took to lockdown their financial accounts. They are also being reimbursed for the money they spent on credit monitoring services, and as previously mentioned, for losses due to identity theft. The data breach exposed the names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, and social security numbers of 76 million T-Mobile subscribers in the U.S.
Those who are expected to receive part of the $350 million settlement with T-Mobile should start to get their payments in April. The new month starts this coming Tuesday so start checking your mail and your bank account to see if you have received your share of the historic class action settlement.
Verizon customers recently received their share of a class action settlement and some payments were incredibly low. | Image credit-X
T-Mobile subscribers who didn't have documentation showing out-of-pocket losses but were still affected by the data breach will receive a payment of up to $25. Those who lived in California at the time of the data breach in August 2021 will receive as much as $100. Payments will be made via the method chosen by each claimant which means some will have their money deposited in their bank accounts electronically and some will actually receive a paper check. As usual with class action settlements, the big winners are the attorneys.
After the funds are distributed to the priority claimants with documented out-of-pocket losses, the remaining funds will be distributed on a "pro rata basis" which means that depending on the number of accepted claims, some might receive less than $25. Some recent class action distributions resulted in payments much lower than what was expected. For example, back in January Verizon started distributing a $100 million settlement fund for its postpaid customers who were charged unfair and not adequately disclosed monthly fees.
It was believed that former customers with the nation's largest wireless carrier between Jan. 1, 2016, and Nov. 8, 2023, would receive as much as $100 apiece. Instead, some payments received (and shared on X) were for amounts as low as $2.51 and $3.27.
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