American Consumer Credit Counseling Data Breach Settlement Offers Up to $8
The American Consumer Credit Counseling Data Breach Settlement Offers Up to $8 settlement, with individual payouts of $45 to $3.50K to eligible claimants who must be a resident of the united states. The deadline to file is September 16, 2026. Proof of purchase is required.
Deadline: September 16, 2026
Total amount allocated for all claims
Estimated amount per eligible claim
Online claims require the login ID and PIN from the class notice. Claims for documented out-of-pocket losses must include supporting documentation such as receipts, bank/credit card statements showing unreimbursed fees or fraudulent charges (or other evidence of monetary losses tied to the breach). Lost-time claims require a brief written description of how the time was spent addressing the data breach. Alternative cash payment claims generally do not require those same loss/time documents, but must be submitted through the approved claim process by the deadline.
Settlement Summary
In January 2025, American Consumer Credit Counseling Inc. reported a data breach tied to unauthorized access to employee email accounts by an alleged criminal third party. The notice described potential exposure of sensitive personal information for about 11,611 people, including names and government identifiers such as Social Security and driver’s license numbers, as well as financial data like account numbers and possibly payment card information. For affected individuals, the practical risk is identity theft or fraud—leading to costs such as restoring records, dealing with credit issues, and paying for services like credit monitoring. The lawsuit was filed as a class action on behalf of impacted consumers, accusing the company of failing to protect personal data, and seeking compensation for harm such as documented out-of-pocket losses and time spent addressing the breach. Even though American Consumer Credit Counseling denied wrongdoing, it agreed to settle to avoid the cost and uncertainty of prolonged litigation—an outcome that can still be significant for consumers because it creates a structured, easier path to compensation. In this settlement, eligible claimants may receive up to $8 total in specific ways—up to $3,500 for documented losses, up to $80 for lost time, or a simpler one-time option of $45 if they don’t claim those categories—and all class members can elect three years of credit monitoring and fraud insurance. This fits a broader industry pattern: after major breaches, class settlements often provide payment and monitoring, reflecting growing expectations under U.S. privacy and cybersecurity rules and enforcement trends related to consumer reporting data protection and safeguarding obligations. More broadly, cases like this highlight why organizations across the credit counseling and financial services ecosystem face heightened scrutiny when breaches affect personally identifiable information and payment-related records. Regulators and courts have increasingly examined whether companies used reasonable security measures and promptly responded when data was exposed, and similar litigation has commonly resulted in “no-fault” style settlements that trade blame for compensation and monitoring—especially when sensitive identifiers like Social Security numbers are involved. Here, the settlement’s claim process and deadline (with payments after final court approval) underscore the consumer-focused emphasis on proof of loss, documented time, and access to long-term credit protection, reflecting how the credit industry and compliance framework increasingly treat cybersecurity as a core risk-management responsibility, so affected people are encouraged to file claims when they receive notice.
Entities Involved
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Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a resident of the United States
- Must have received a notice that the American Consumer Credit Counseling data breach discovered in January 2025 potentially impacted their personally identifiable information
- Must be a class member whose personally identifiable information was potentially compromised in the incident
- Claim type eligibility depends on what losses/time are documented (out-of-pocket losses and lost time require supporting information; the alternative cash payment does not)
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Important Notice About Filing Claims
Submitting false information in a settlement claim is considered perjury and will result in your claim being rejected. Fraudulent claims harm legitimate class members and may result in legal consequences.
If you are unsure about your eligibility for this settlement, please visit the official settlement administrator’s website using the link provided above. Review the eligibility criteria carefully before submitting a claim.
Class Action Champion is an independent information resource and is not affiliated with any settlement administrator, law firm, or court. We provide settlement information as a service to help connect eligible class members with legitimate settlements.