National Public Data Breach Lawsuit: The Company Went Bankrupt, and There Is No Settlement
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The national public data breach exposed Social Security numbers held by a Florida background-check broker. More than a dozen class actions were filed in August 2024. Weeks later the company filed for Chapter 11, the federal suits were frozen, and the company shut down. As of October 8, 2026 we found no national public data breach settlement, no fund, no claim form and no deadline.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Lawsuits Say Happened
National Public Data was the trade name of Jerico Pictures, Inc., a data broker that sold background checks built from public records. You never signed up with it; it collected your records anyway.
In April 2024 a hacker advertised a database on a criminal forum, claiming it held 2.9 billion records on people in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. The complaints say the data included full names, current and past addresses, Social Security numbers, dates of birth and phone numbers. On August 16, 2024 the company confirmed a breach, saying someone had been trying to get in since December 2023.
The 2.9 billion figure is the seller’s claim and counts duplicates. The company’s notice filed with Maine regulators said 1.3 million people. One security researcher estimated about 899 million unique Social Security numbers, including deceased people. The lawsuits allege negligence and a failure to give prompt notice. No identity-theft protection was offered to victims.
Case Details
The first suits were filed on August 1, 2024 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, including Hofmann v. Jerico Pictures, Inc., No. 0:24-cv-61383, and Burgen v. Jerico Pictures, Inc., No. 0:24-cv-61384. Judge David S. Leibowitz handled them. Others followed in Florida and in other districts, such as Jenkins v. Jerico Pictures, No. 3:24-cv-00388 (N.D. Fla.), and Geletko v. Jerico Pictures, No. 2:24-cv-08003 (C.D. Cal.).
On October 2, 2024 Jerico Pictures filed for Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida, Case No. 24-20281, before Judge Scott M. Grossman. The bankruptcy docket lists the case as terminated on January 31, 2025.
Status: Frozen Lawsuits, No Settlement
The bankruptcy filing explains why money is unlikely. The company listed about $39,225 in a bank account and about $5,400 of equipment. It said its insurer had declined coverage and that it could not fund liabilities covering “hundreds of millions of potentially impacted individuals.” Most of its 50 to 99 listed creditors were state attorneys general. National Public Data shut down in December 2024.
As of October 8, 2026 we found no court-approved settlement in the records and coverage we reviewed. Some websites describe settlement talks or an administrator; we could not confirm any of that in a court record.
Who Is Affected — and Which Other Cases People Mean
If you have lived in the U.S. for years, your name, address history or Social Security number may well be in the leaked set. The data came from public records, not from a customer relationship. A letter would not prove you are in it, and the lack of one proves nothing either. You do not need to join anything; no class was ever certified.
Other cases that come up in the same searches:
National Student Clearinghouse data breach settlement. This one is real and resolved. It covers the 2023 MOVEit hack, affected nearly 1.5 million people, and has a $9.95 million fund. Judge Allison D. Burroughs (D. Mass.) granted final approval in May 2025. A class-action newsletter gave the claim deadline as May 26, 2025, so the claim window has closed. A related MOVEit case is covered on our Bank of America MOVEit page.
Class action lawsuit National Association of Realtors. This is the home-seller commission case, Sitzer/Burnett, in Missouri before Judge Stephen Bough. NAR agreed to pay $418 million over four years. On August 19, 2026 the Eighth Circuit upheld the settlements. According to the official claims site, claim deadlines passed on May 9, 2025 and December 30, 2025.
Huntington National Bank class action settlement. We found no open Huntington settlement taking claims. Huntington National Bank comes up in these searches because it was the escrow bank for the real estate commission settlement funds. In October 2025 class counsel moved that money to a different bank.
Not related at all, despite the name: the National Aquarium ticket-fee case. See our news report on the refiled suit.
What a Case Like This Pays
For context, the National Student Clearinghouse deal shows what a funded breach settlement offers: up to $10,000 for extraordinary losses, up to $2,500 for ordinary losses, or a $100 alternative cash payment, plus two years of credit monitoring. Our data breach settlement calculator shows ranges from comparable cases. Those numbers come from other cases; they are not a prediction for this one.
National Public Data Breach Timeline
- 1
April 2024 — Database Offered for Sale
A hacker advertises a database on a criminal forum and claims it holds 2.9 billion records. The complaints allege the data came from National Public Data.
- 2
August 2024 — Lawsuits and Confirmation
Class actions are filed in Florida federal court starting August 1, including Hofmann (0:24-cv-61383). On August 16 the company confirms the breach.
- 3
October 2, 2024 — Chapter 11
Jerico Pictures files for bankruptcy (Case No. 24-20281, S.D. Fla.). It says its insurer has declined coverage.
- 4
October 7, 2024 — Federal Suits Frozen
The Florida court stays the cases under the automatic bankruptcy stay and administratively closes them. National Public Data shuts down in December 2024.
- 5
January 31, 2025 — Bankruptcy Case Ends
The bankruptcy docket lists Case No. 24-20281 as terminated. No settlement fund came out of it.
- 6
October 2026 — Still No Settlement
As of October 8, 2026 we found no settlement, administrator, claim form or deadline in the court records we reviewed.
Three Things to Watch For
A breach that touched hundreds of millions of records, with no settlement behind it, invites imposters:
“Claim your National Public Data payout” sites
No claims portal exists, because no settlement exists. A page asking for your Social Security number to “check if you qualify” is collecting the same data that leaked.
Checks that do not match a case you claimed in
A check drawn on Huntington National Bank or any other bank is not proof of anything. Look up the administrator on the official settlement website, not on the letter. Never cash a check and wire part of it back.
Calls quoting your old addresses
The leaked set includes address histories, so a caller can sound informed. No court-appointed administrator calls to ask for a fee or your full Social Security number.
National Public Data Breach — Questions People Actually Ask
Is there a national public data breach settlement?
No. As of October 8, 2026 we found no court-approved settlement, fund, administrator or claim form. The federal class actions were stayed and administratively closed on October 7, 2024 after the company filed for Chapter 11.
Who is National Public Data?
It was the trade name of Jerico Pictures, Inc., a Florida data broker that sold background checks compiled from public records. It shut down in December 2024.
How many people were affected?
Nobody knows exactly. The seller claimed 2.9 billion records, and that count includes duplicates. The company’s Maine notice said 1.3 million people. A researcher estimated about 899 million unique Social Security numbers.
Will I get money from the National Public Data lawsuit?
Very unlikely. The bankruptcy filing listed about $39,225 in cash, about $5,400 in equipment and no insurance coverage. With nothing to collect, a win would still pay nothing.
I got a settlement check from Huntington National Bank — is it real?
Possibly, but the bank name does not tell you which case it is. Settlement checks are drawn on whatever bank the administrator uses. Huntington National Bank was the escrow bank for the real estate commission settlements until October 2025. Match the case name on the check against a claim you actually filed, and confirm the administrator’s contact details on the official settlement site.
Is there a Huntington National Bank class action settlement I can claim in?
We found no open Huntington National Bank class action settlement taking claims as of October 8, 2026. Separate lawsuits against claims administrators and banks, including Huntington, allege improper arrangements around prepaid settlement cards. Those are allegations, not settlements.
What about the National Student Clearinghouse data breach settlement?
It is a separate MOVEit case with a $9.95 million fund for nearly 1.5 million people. It received final approval in May 2025. A class-action newsletter gave the claim deadline as May 26, 2025, so new claims are no longer possible.
What is worth doing right now?
Freeze your credit at all three bureaus. It is free and reversible, and it does far more than any payout this case could. Consider an IRS Identity Protection PIN, since leaked Social Security numbers are used for fraudulent tax filings.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.
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