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Nearly 4 million Americans are due AT&T settlement checks of up to $7,500 - here's how to check if you're one of them
AT&T has announced who may be eligible for up to $7,500 in compensation payments following two major data breaches, with potentially millions of Americans being impacted by the incident.
The industry-leading telecommunications giant agreed to a settlement in the region of $177 million, after the separate security breaches exposed millions of customers' sensitive personal data and call records.
Who is eligible to claim?
That said, not everyone affected by the security infringement will be entitled to receive thousands of dollars in compensation, with the amount available depending on which breach exposed your information and whether evidence can be provided.
After announcing that it was investigating a data leak in March 2024, involving information belonging to current and former customers, it transpired that the exposed dataset, which appeared on the dark web, contained personal information dating back to 2019, including Social Security numbers, with around 73 million current and former customers affected, according to company reports.
A separate incident was disclosed in July 2024 after AT&T discovered that customer records had been illegally downloaded from a third-party cloud platform.
That breach involved countless telephone numbers and call and text message records relating to “nearly all” AT&T cellular customers, as well as customers of other providers using its network, between May 1 and October 31, 2022, with the two incidents leading to lawsuits against the company, which ultimately agreed to establish a settlement fund worth $177 million.
The agreement divides the money into two separate funds, with $149 million going to claims relating to the March breach and $28 million for the incident disclosed in July.
Customers whose information was involved in either breach, or both, may qualify for compensation under the settlement, with the settlement covering both current and former customers. Kroll Settlement Administration responsible for notifying eligible individuals.
According to the settlement website, eligible customers were sent notices explaining how they could submit a claim, leading to approximately 3.92 million valid claims being received, according to reporting on the court proceedings.
Customers affected by the March 2024 incident can claim up to $5,000 for documented losses, but these must have occurred in 2019 or later and be “fairly traceable” to the breach.
Qualifying losses may include expenses connected to identity theft, unauthorized account charges, bank fees or credit monitoring services, provided the claimant can supply the necessary evidence.
For customers affected by the July incident, the maximum payment for documented losses is $2,500, but these losses must have occurred on or after April 14, 2024.
Anyone affected by both incidents could potentially claim up to $7,500 in total, although separate documentation is required for losses claimed under each part of the settlement.
Figures reported following the court's approval indicate that tier payments could fall into the following ranges:
- March breach, Social Security number exposed: approximately $39 to $40.
- March breach, other personal information exposed: approximately $7.50 to $8.10.
- July breach, call and text records exposed: approximately $6.50 to $7.10.
These figures are estimates of tier payments, rather than guaranteed amounts for every claimant, after a federal judge granted final approval of the $177 million settlement on October 2, 2026.
When can eligible customers receive payment?
The next key date is November 2, 2026, which is the reported deadline for AT&T to appeal the decision, but if no appeal is filed, payments could begin arriving as early as December.
The settlement website explains: “Settlement Class Member Benefits will begin after the Settlement has obtained Court approval and the time for all appeals has expired.”
AT&T has denied the allegations disclosed in the lawsuits, while agreeing to settle the claims rather than face the expense and uncertainty of prolonged legal proceedings.
In a statement, the company said it was not accepting responsibility for the criminal activity behind the breaches: “While we deny the allegations in these lawsuits that we were responsible for these criminal acts, we have agreed to this settlement to avoid the expense and uncertainty of protracted litigation.
“We remain committed to protecting our customers' data and ensuring their continued trust in us.”
With millions of people potentially receiving settlement-related communications, customers should be alert to scams pretending to offer compensation.
The official settlement website is telecomdatasettlement.com, where customers can find information about the agreement and the claims process, but AT&T has advised caution around anyone demanding an upfront fee to release a payment, requesting credit card details or directing you to an unfamiliar website.