$177M AT&T Data Breach Settlement; USVI is eligible

St. Croix Times Staff

Dallas,Texas - AT&T has agreed to pay $177 million in a class action settlement related to two separate alleged data breaches which took place in 2019 and 2024. The breaches involved the theft of call and text records for “nearly all” AT&T customers, including those in the U.S. Virgin Islands. AT&T has acknowledged the two breaches but didn’t acknowledge the 2019 breach until 2024, after it detected customer data spreading on the dark web. 

In the first incident, dated March 30, 2024, (but took place in 2019) some customers’ vulnerable data, including addresses, social security numbers, birthdates, passcodes, billing numbers and phone numbers were released on the dark web, according to a news release by Kroll Settlement Administration. 

The giant telecommunications company was also accused of an incident on July 12, 2024, where limited data was illegally downloaded from a hack in April 2024. Some of the breached information included records from nearly all of AT&T’s 109 million customers and other users associated with the account, as well as the numbers they interacted with. 

The breach  affected AT&T customers across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

According to the Settlement Website, customers affected by the first data incident can claim up to $5,000 by providing materials for the documented loss cash payment option.

Another alternative is a Tier 1 or Tier 2 cash payment. Those whose Social Security numbers were included in the March 30 data breach are eligible to file a claim for Tier 1, which is five times the amount of Tier 2. 

Those affected by the July 12 data breach could be eligible for a documented loss cash payment up to $2,500. Documented materials must be presented, according to the settlement website. 

The alternative is the Tier 3 cash payment option, which will be a share of the settlement after administration costs and claims are received. 

Customers impacted by both data breaches could receive up to $7,500.  

Kroll Settlement Administration, the organization managing AT&T’s legal settlement, has created a website at: telecomdatasettlement.com where eligible class members can file claims for compensation. 

To file a claim for your part of the settlement, you’ll need to have a “Class Member ID” which should have come in a notification from Kroll, most likely by email. If you cannot find the email, be sure to check your spam folder or other email filters. 

You’ll need to retrieve your Class Member ID from the notification you received, or else visit the website or call the administrators to get an ID at: 833-890-4930, or write to: AT&T Data Incident Settlement, ℅ Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, PO Box 5324, New York, NY 10150-5324. 

Claim forms must be submitted by November 18, 2025.