What’s Happening Right Now
Two data breach class action settlements just opened for claims this week, and the combined payout is $13. Since this post was published, the Krispy Kreme data breach settlement also opened — 161,000 employees can claim $75 to $3,500 before June 22.7 million. If you were a customer of either company, you may be owed money — but you have to file a claim to get it.
Lemonade Insurance ($10.5 million) — The online insurance platform exposed the driver’s license numbers of approximately 190,000 people for 17 months between April 2023 and September 2024. A design flaw let anyone look up your license number using just your name and address. Class members can receive approximately $55 in cash plus three years of credit monitoring (valued at $720), and up to $10,000 for documented losses. File at lemonadeprivacysettlement.com.
Update: A third data breach settlement is now open — Fidelity Investments is paying up to $5,000 per customer for their August 2024 breach that exposed Social Security numbers and bank routing numbers. Deadline: July 27, 2026.
Claiming money you are owed is one good day. What you do over the following year is what actually changes your position.
In the latest issue (Sep 16): The truck was $28,999 online. At the desk it’s $31,400. As of yesterday, the FTC says the ad was the lie.
I write Your Money Actually most weekdays — actionable money information you will not find anywhere else, and the small decisions that compound. It is free, I sell nothing, and I take no money from any company I write about.
Bank of America 7-Eleven ATM Fee Settlement ($2.25 million) — BofA double-charged balance inquiry fees at 7-Eleven ATMs from 2018-2021. Current customers get paid automatically; former customers must file a claim before June 29, 2026.
Pawn America ($3.185 million) — A 2021 data breach compromised the personal information of nearly 680,000 customers. Class members can receive up to $5,000 for documented losses or a base payment of around $30 with no documentation required (California residents get an additional $50). The claim deadline is July 6, 2026. File at pawnamericasettlement.com.
Why It Matters to You
Here’s what most people don’t realize about data breach settlements: the companies are legally required to pay out whether you file or not. If you don’t file, your share goes back to the company or to attorneys’ fees. You’re not getting a handout — you’re claiming money set aside specifically because your data was compromised.
And data breach settlements keep accelerating. We’ve covered Complete Payroll Solutions ($2.6M), Lockton Southeast ($9.9M), and Stellantis/Chrysler in just the last month. The Hims & Hers health data breach is also generating new lawsuits right now. If you’ve received any “notice of data breach” letter in the past two years, there may be settlement money waiting for you.
The bigger data privacy picture goes beyond breach settlements. The FTC just settled with data broker Kochava, which was selling real-time location data from 300 million phones — including data that could identify who visited debt counseling offices, addiction recovery centers, and domestic violence shelters. Understanding how your location gets packaged and sold is worth your time.
What We’ve Said About This Before — and Why It Matters Today
If you received a class action settlement check last year, make sure you know the tax implications — the IRS wants to know about it. Settlement payments for emotional distress or lost time may be taxable. Payments for actual financial losses generally aren’t. The distinction matters, especially if you’re filing claims for multiple breaches.
What to Think About Doing
- Check both settlement sites now: lemonadeprivacysettlement.com and pawnamericasettlement.com. Filing takes about 5 minutes.
- Search your email for “data breach” or “notice of” — you may have ignored a notification letter that entitles you to money.
- If identity theft has already happened: File for the enhanced documented-loss claims (up to $10,000 for Lemonade, $5,000 for Pawn America) with receipts, bank statements, or credit monitoring costs.
- Set calendar reminders for deadlines. Pawn America’s claim window closes July 6, 2026. Missing the deadline means forfeiting your right to payment.
And here’s one more while you’re in claim-filing mode: Apple just agreed to a $250 million settlement over iPhone Apple Intelligence marketing. If you bought an iPhone 15 Pro or any iPhone 16 model since June 2024, you could be owed $25 to $95 per device.
Settlement money won’t change your life, but leaving it unclaimed is just giving it back to the company that failed to protect your data. Five minutes of paperwork for $55-85 is worth doing. Pass this along to anyone who was a Lemonade or Pawn America customer — most people never file.
Also currently open: the Labcorp $35 million data breach settlement (deadline September 3, 2026) — this one involves medical identity theft risk that can quietly damage your credit report.
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