AT&T Data Breach Settlement Explained: How Much You Can Claim and How to File
Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat: this isn’t corporate speak, and you don’t need a law degree to understand this. You need to know that AT&T agreed to pay up a big settlement after your (and millions of other people’s) personal information was exposed in one (well, two) big data breaches.
This guide will walk you through it all and how you can file for the claim.
What Happened About The Data Breaches
In 2024, AT&T disclosed two separate data breaches that shook its customers and raised serious privacy red flags:
First Breach (March 2024)
This wasn’t just a tiny oops; this was big. Information from millions of accounts going back years was exposed, including Social Security numbers, names, addresses, passcodes, and other sensitive bits. This data was later spotted on the dark web.
Estimates suggest this affected roughly:
- 7.6 million current customers, and
- 65+ million former customers. Yes… tens of millions.
Also read: How Artificial Intelligence Quietly Shapes Your Everyday Life
Second Breach (July 2024)
A different incident, revealed later in the year, potentially exposed call and text records, not the content of calls or messages, but things like phone numbers, timing, and logs. This came from a third-party cloud platform AT&T used.
Together, these breaches sparked class-action lawsuits. Lawsuits by groups of impacted customers eventually turned into a settlement.
AT&T denies it did anything wrong on purpose, but it still agreed to settle to avoid years of courtroom wrangling.
The Settlement: How Much Money Are We Talking?
After all that stress and legal drama, AT&T agreed to a $177 million settlement fund. That money is meant to compensate people whose data was involved.
Here’s the breakdown:
- $149 million for the first breach
- $28 million for the second breach (This total helps pay claimants, lawyers, admin costs, etc.
Now the real question you’re asking…
How Much Could You Get?
That depends on two things:
- Which breach (or breaches) you were affected by
- Whether you can show financial loss tied to it
Here’s the rough structure:
First Breach (March 2024):
- Up to $5,000 if you have documented losses
- If your Social Security number was included, a bigger payment tier may apply (higher than typical).
Second Breach (July 2024):
- Up to $2,500 with documented loss
- There’s also a tiered fixed payout if you don’t have proof of loss. It’s a smaller amount, but still money.
If you were hit by both breaches? You could be eligible for up to $7,500 total.
But here’s the real thing to notice: the exact amount you get depends on:
- How many people file claims
- How many documented losses are approved
- Administrative costs and attorneys’ fees
So… yes, you might get the full amount, or you might get a share based on how many valid claims there are.
Who Can File a Claim?
You’re eligible if:
You were an AT&T customer (current or former). Your personal information was exposed in either of the two breaches. You have enough info to prove (or support) your claim
That includes people whose Social Security numbers, addresses, call record info, passcodes, or other sensitive data were exposed.
Millions of people are in that boat, and some haven’t even realised they’re eligible yet. So if you didn’t get a notice and think you should’ve, don’t panic. You can still check online or call the settlement administrator for help.
How To File a Claim: Step by Step
This part is the most important because if you don’t do it right, you get no money, and that would be heartbreaking given what happened.
Here’s your checklist:
1. Get Your Notice ID
AT&T/Kroll (the settlement admin) should’ve sent you a notice by email or mail with a Claim ID / Notice ID. That’s your ticket in.
Tip: Check your spam folder. A lot of people missed it because it landed there.
If you never got one? Don’t sweat. You can visit the official site and request a resend or call them.
2. Go to the Official Claim Website
www.telecomdatasettlement.com is the ONLY official place to file.
DO NOT use random third-party sites; they might be scams.
3. Choose Your Claim Type
There are two main ways to claim:
- Documented Loss Claim: You show receipts, bank statements, fraud reports, etc.
- Tiered/Fixed Payout Claim: You don’t need documented losses; you just qualify based on the type of data exposed.
If you choose documented instead of tiered, you might get more. But more documentation means more work.
4. Submit By the Deadline
This is so important: All claims were to be submitted online or mailed by November 18, 2025, but it was later extended to December 18, 2025.
Paper claims must be postmarked by that date, too.
5. Keep Copies
Once you file, save: Confirmation numbers, Screenshots of forms, and Email responses.
This is because stuff gets lost, and you don’t want to be the one scrambling later.
Other Important Deadlines
Even if you don’t plan to claim, you should know these:
Opt-Out Deadline:
If you want to keep your right to sue AT&T separately, instead of taking the settlement, you must mail an opt-out request by October 17, 2025.
Final Approval Hearing (Court):
Scheduled for mid-January 2026. Once that happens and any appeals are resolved, payouts will start, probably in early 2026.
A Few Things To Keep in Mind
- Just filing a claim doesn’t guarantee you get money, but if you don’t file at all, you definitely get nothing.
- The money you receive could be less than the max if a lot of people file documented loss claims.
- Filing a claim means you waive your right to sue AT&T individually over these breaches.
- If you’re unsure about how to document losses, get help from a financial counsellor or lawyer, especially if you’re counting on a bigger payout.
Also read: Why Poundland Stores Are Closing and What It Means for Britain’s High Streets
Final Thoughts
Look, getting your data exposed is stressful; it can feel invasive and personal. And then juggling court cases and settlement claims on top of that can be overwhelming.
But here’s the good part: the system gives you a chance a short to get some compensation for what happened. And that’s worth paying attention to.
