Some AT&T Customers Are Getting Checks For Up To $7,500 - Here's How

In March 2024, AT&T announced that customer data — obtained during a 2019 data breach — was released on the dark web, affecting nearly 7.6 million current and 65.4 million former AT&T customers. Later, the company admitted to a second incident from 2021 where user data was downloaded by an unauthorized party. These incidents led to a class action lawsuit; the wireless giant agreed to pay $149 million for the original event, and an additional $28 million for the second. That means, affected AT&T customers could claim up to $7,500 in reimbursement across two settlements and two tiers of payouts for each — up to $5,000 for the first and $2,500 for the second.

For those affected, the original deadline to file as a claimant was in November 2025, but a court pushed the date to December 18, 2025. If you want to participate, you have until then to file your case online or by mail. To be eligible for settlement one, you must have been an AT&T customer, former or current, whose Social Security numbers leaked in the original incident — with documented losses up to $5,000 — that's tier one. The second tier entails an AT&T customer, current or former, who had their "Data Elements" included in the data breach, but not their Social Security number. All AT&T participants for settlement two are entitled to documented loss cash payments up to $2,500, with an optional tier three cash payment as a pro rata share, funds left after payment of settlement administration costs, attorneys' fees, costs, and service awards. Participants can receive up to $7,500 in total, but it depends on how many people file claims.

For starters, you had to be an AT&T customer affected by these breaches. If you're a brand-new customer who signed up after these events, you aren't eligible. In addition, according to the class action website, any losses that occurred need to be documented and "fairly traceable." To participate, you can submit a claim form online or by mail on or before December 18, 2025. You can also mail an opt-out or an objection to the settlement on or before November 17, 2025. If you don't want to participate at all, you can simply do nothing, but you will not receive any funds either. The amount you'll receive for participating depends on how many claimants file, and which breach out of the two incidents you're eligible for.

With a class action lawsuit, the more damages filed, the lower the amount distributed to each claimant. In this case, that comes from the $149 million for the original event and $28 million for the second. Attorneys also take a percentage of the payout. While unrelated, this is similar to a class action lawsuit that recently saw Cash App users get checks for over $80. In 2024, Verizon was also involved in a $100 million settlement where affected customers received payouts. It highlights two things: class action lawsuits are fairly common, and modern companies may not always have their customers' best interests at heart.