Comcast will soon begin sending out payments following a 2023 data breach, and affected individuals can file a claim right now to get a portion of the $117.5 million settlement.
As reported by CT Insider, the U.S. cable and internet service provider suffered a data breach back in 2023 when hackers exploited a critical Citrix vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to its systems. During the three days they had access, the hackers managed to steal names, contact information, dates of birth and other sensitive customer information but not financial data.
Now almost three years later, Comcast has agreed to a $117.5 million class-action settlement. It’s still awaiting final approval by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on July 7. However, if your personal info was exposed as a result of this breach, you can file a claim now so you’re first in line when payouts start going out.
If you were previously sent a data breach notice by Comcast, you’re one of the 31.6 million people who are eligible to file a claim and get a portion of this settlement. Here’s how to do it and how much you can expect to get.
How to file a claim and how much can you get?
To get started, you’ll need to head to this website and fill out an online form to file a claim. It must be submitted by August 14th for review.
Alternatively, if you’d rather do things the old-fashioned way, you can also print out the form and mail it to Hasson v. Comcast Cable Communications LLC c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC P.O. Box 5324 New York, NY 10150-5324 by August 14th.
Likewise, if you don’t want to be a part of this settlement and would prefer to reserve your right to sue Comcast independently, you can do that as well. However, you will need to submit a written notice by mail by June 1st.
The amount you can get from this settlement depends on how many people actually go through the trouble of filing and what types of claims they file. If you had your identity stolen as a result of this breach though, you can file for reimbursement of out-of-pocket losses and lost time.
While Comcast hasn’t specified the total amount available for out-of-pocket losses, customers can receive up to $150 at $30 per hour if they can show they lost at least five hours of their time dealing with fallout from this data breach. Alternatively, you can opt out of demonstrating specific losses and claim an “alternative cash payment” which can payout as much as $50 depending on how many people file claims.
When can you expect to get paid
Given that the final settlement hearing will take place on July 7, the earliest you can expect to receive a check from Comcast would be later this year. As the settlement website notes, payments could be delayed if there are legal appeals to the final agreement.
Getting caught up in a data breach is never fun but, at least in this circumstance, serious personal and financial info wasn’t exposed. Still, given that your personal data was stolen by hackers, you deserve some compensation. So if you were affected by Comcast’s 2023 data breach, you have until August 14 to file your claim.
