T-Mobile Data Breach Settlement: $350M Fund — First Round Paid, Second Round Coming
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T-Mobile's $350 million data breach settlement already sent out its first wave of payments in 2025, after a year-long attorneys'-fee appeal froze the fund. As of August 2026, that initial distribution has concluded and the window to request a reissue for missed payments has closed. The settlement administrator now says a residual distribution — a second, automatic top-up for people who already had an approved claim — is expected "later this year," though no date or dollar amount has been announced.
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What Happened: T-Mobile's 2021 Data Breach
On August 16, 2021, T-Mobile disclosed that a hacker had accessed its systems and stolen personal data belonging to roughly 76 million people — current and former T-Mobile customers. The exposed data included names, addresses, zip codes, phone numbers, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, government ID and driver's license numbers, and internal account details such as PINs and network identifiers (IMSI/MSISDN). T-Mobile denies any wrongdoing but agreed to pay $350 million into a Settlement Fund that pays class members' claims, attorneys' fees and administration costs. Separately, the settlement required T-Mobile to spend an additional $150 million on data security and related technology in 2022 and 2023 — money that does not go to class members.
Case Details
In re: T-Mobile Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, MDL No. 3019, Case No. 4:21-md-03019-BCW, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Western Division (Hon. Brian C. Wimes). Settlement administrator: Kroll Settlement Administration LLC — official website t-mobilesettlement.com (Spanish: es.t-mobilesettlement.com), phone 1-833-512-2314, mail: T-Mobile Data Breach Settlement, c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, P.O. Box 225391, New York, NY 10150-5391. Separate state case: In January 2025, the Washington State Attorney General filed a consumer protection lawsuit against T-Mobile in King County Superior Court over the same 2021 breach, which affected more than 2 million Washingtonians. It seeks civil penalties and restitution for Washingtonians who were harmed. That case is not part of this class settlement, and as of this update no claims process has been announced for it.
Current Status: First Round Paid, Second Round Pending
Who Was Covered — and Can You Still File?
The class covers roughly 76 million current and former T-Mobile customers whose information was exposed in the August 2021 breach. The claim deadline was January 23, 2023, and it has long passed — no new claims are accepted, for either the initial or the residual distribution. If you're not sure whether you filed, or whether your payment went through, call the administrator at 1-833-512-2314. Regardless of whether you ever filed a claim, all class members remain eligible for free Restoration Services if they experience identity theft or fraud, and those who enrolled keep their two years of Identity Defense Services (monitoring plus $1 million identity-theft insurance), which runs through January 20, 2028.
How Much Will the Second Payment Be?
Timeline: From Breach to Second Distribution
- 1
August 16, 2021 — Breach disclosed
T-Mobile announces that a hacker accessed its systems, exposing personal data — including Social Security and driver's license numbers — for roughly 76 million current and former customers.
- 2
January 23, 2023 — Claims deadline closes
The window to file for out-of-pocket losses, lost time, or the flat alternative cash payment closes. This remains the last day anyone could join the paid portion of the settlement.
- 3
June 29, 2023 — Final approval, then an appeal
Judge Brian C. Wimes grants final approval of the $350M settlement. An appeal filed a month later, targeting the attorneys'-fee award, freezes all payments to class members.
- 4
July 29, 2024 — 8th Circuit vacates the fee award
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturns the district court's attorneys'-fee award and sends the case back down, extending the delay before any money can go out.
- 5
Spring 2025 — Initial distribution goes out
With the fee dispute resolved on remand, Kroll begins issuing payments — documented-loss and lost-time claims, flat alternative cash payments, and Identity Defense Services activations.
- 6
August 2026 — Reissue window closed, residual round pending
The initial distribution is confirmed concluded and the reissue deadline has passed. Kroll's site says a residual (second) distribution of leftover funds is expected later in 2026, with no date or amount announced yet.
Court Documents
Read the key filings yourself. We host copies of the public court record, free to read and share.
Case: In re T-Mobile Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, No. 4:21-md-03019 (W.D. Mo.)
- JPML Transfer OrderDec 3, 2021 · ECF No. 1 · 3 pages · PDF, 197 KB
- Final Approval Order and JudgmentJun 29, 2023 · ECF No. 235 · 51 pages · PDF, 327 KB
4 more documents in this case
- Consolidated Amended ComplaintMay 11, 2022 · ECF No. 128 · 338 pages · PDF, 1.9 MB
- Settlement AgreementJul 22, 2022 · ECF No. 158-1 · 67 pages · PDF, 723 KB
- Motion for Attorneys' FeesSep 10, 2024 · ECF No. 253 · 9 pages · PDF, 194 KB
- Order Awarding Attorneys' FeesJan 16, 2025 · ECF No. 263 · 11 pages · PDF, 175 KB
A complaint states one side's allegations; only the court's orders decide anything. Copies of federal court records (PACER) via CourtListener, Free Law Project. Not legal advice.
Scam Alert: Fake T-Mobile Settlement Messages
A breach exposing 76 million people's Social Security and driver's license numbers is a prime target for follow-on fraud. Three patterns to watch for:
"Pay a fee to release your settlement payment"
The real settlement never charges a fee — not to file, not to "process" a claim, and not to "release" the upcoming residual payment. Anyone asking for money, gift cards, or your bank login is a scammer. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Lookalike payment-update emails
Legitimate re-payment notices for failed electronic transfers have come from noreply@digitaldisbursements.com. Scammers spoof similar-looking addresses to harvest bank details. Don't click links in unsolicited emails — go directly to t-mobilesettlement.com instead.
Fake settlement websites or phone numbers
The only official channels are t-mobilesettlement.com (and its Spanish version, es.t-mobilesettlement.com) and Kroll's hotline 1-833-512-2314. Any other "T-Mobile settlement" site or number should be treated as fraudulent.
T-Mobile Settlement FAQ
When will the T-Mobile settlement residual payment go out?
There's no date yet. Kroll's most recent update says a residual distribution is "expected to take place later this year" (2026) — but no month, exact date, or per-person amount has been announced. Check t-mobilesettlement.com or call 1-833-512-2314 rather than trusting a third-party estimate.
Can I still file a claim?
No. The claim deadline was January 23, 2023, and no new claims are being accepted — including for the residual distribution, which only adds to claims that were already approved.
I already got my first check. Do I need to do anything for the second payment?
No action is needed for most people. The residual payment is added automatically, pro rata, to claims that already went through Kroll's validation — there is no separate form to submit.
My first payment never arrived and I missed the reissue deadline. What now?
The deadline to request a reissue for a lost, expired, or undelivered initial-round payment has passed. Contact the Settlement Administrator directly at 1-833-512-2314 to ask about your options — Settlement Insight cannot access individual claim records.
Is t-mobilesettlement.com legit?
Yes. t-mobilesettlement.com is the official, court-approved settlement website operated by Kroll Settlement Administration LLC. The only official phone number is 1-833-512-2314.
Why did it take so long to get paid?
Final approval was granted on June 29, 2023, but an appeal filed a month later — over the attorneys'-fee award — froze all payments. The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated that fee award on July 29, 2024, sending the case back to the district court. Only once that was resolved, in early 2025, could Kroll start cutting checks.
What data was actually exposed in the breach?
Names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver's license/government ID numbers, and T-Mobile account details — including PINs and network identifiers like IMSI/MSISDN — for roughly 76 million people, in the breach T-Mobile disclosed on August 16, 2021.
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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