T-Mobile is preparing to distribute $350 million to customers impacted by its 2021 data breach, which compromised the personal information of approximately 76 million people.
What Happened?
The breach, executed by American hacker John Binns from Turkey, occurred after he exploited a misconfigured internet-exposed router, gaining access to T-Mobile’s internal network. Sensitive data, including names, Social Security numbers, and birth dates, was exposed in the attack.
Who Is Eligible for Payment?
- Eligible recipients must have filed a claim by the January 23, 2023 deadline.
- Claimants must have been T-Mobile customers at the time of the August 16, 2021 data breach and had their information exposed.
- To receive the maximum payout of $25,000, claimants were required to submit documentation proving out-of-pocket expenses related to the breach, such as credit monitoring or fraud-related costs.
- Those without documentation could still receive a smaller payment of $25, or $100 for California residents.
T-Mobile opted to settle the class action lawsuit rather than fight it in court. Payouts are scheduled to begin in April 2025, according to an update on the T-Mobile Data Breach Settlement website.
No further action is required for eligible customers who have already submitted claims.
