AT&T to Pay $177 Million to Data Breach Victims

AT&T to Pay $177 Million to Data Breach Victims — Here’s How to Check If You Were Affected

By: Legal & Security Team | Date: June 2025

🧾 What’s New?

AT&T is set to distribute up to $177 million in compensation to current and former customers impacted by two large-scale data breaches—spanning incidents from 2019 through 2024 :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}.

Background: The Two Breaches

In 2021, the hacker group ShinyHunters claimed access to AT&T data dating back to 2019. AT&T initially denied the breach, then confirmed exposures involved at least 73 million people by April 2024 :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}.
In July 2024, a hack of AT&T’s Snowflake cloud storage compromised call and text logs of ~109 million US subscribers from 2022, prompting arrests :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}.

Who’s Eligible & How Much?

Eligibility extends to all current or former AT&T customers whose data was accessed in either breach:

Up to $5,000 for documented damages from the 2019 breach
Up to $2,500 for harms from the 2024 breach
If funds remain, lesser or no-damage claimants may receive a share

Claim notices are scheduled by August 4, 2025, with submissions due by November 18, 2025. Payouts are expected in early 2026 after the final court OK on December 3, 2025 :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}.

🔍 How to Check If You Were Affected

Use Malwarebytes’ **Digital Footprint Portal**—a free, straightforward tool—to see if your email address appears in the breached data :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}.

Visit the Malwarebytes portal.
Enter your email address (the one most frequently used with AT&T).
Your results will show a pink bubble if **”Exposed on AT&T”** or green if not.

Legal & Compliance Perspective

This settlement addresses legal claims alleging AT&T failed to properly guard user data. The approved class‑action settlement ensures financial remedy to victims while supporting AT&T’s compliance efforts under breach notification regulations.

Providing credit monitoring, facilitating strong digital hygiene, and enabling easy breach verification are key steps in reducing liability and demonstrating corporate due diligence.

✅ Security & Legal Recommendations for Breach Victims

Immediately change passwords and activate two‑factor authentication (2FA) on sensitive accounts.
Monitor financial and telecom accounts for signs of fraud or SIM-swapping.
Check credit reports regularly and consider freezing your credit if SSN was exposed.
Be skeptical of unsolicited contact claiming to assist—you should only act via official channels.