Telmate Class Action Lawsuit: $4.225 Million Data Breach Settlement
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The Telmate class action lawsuit people are searching for is Cooper v. Telmate, LLC, a data breach case over an August 2020 intrusion at the prison communications company behind GettingOut. It has settled for $4,225,000. About 431,031 people are in the class, and the claim deadline is December 21, 2026. Payment comes only after final approval.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Lawsuit Says Happened
Telmate, LLC, which does business as Viapath Technologies, runs communication services for incarcerated people and their families: GettingOut, VisitNow, Command, Telmate Inmate Telephone and Guardian. According to the settlement notice, an outside party accessed files on Telmate's network between August 11 and August 13, 2020.
The exposed fields included names, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, usernames paired with passwords, home addresses, driver's license and passport numbers, Social Security numbers, payment card numbers and financial account information.
In 2020 Telmate notified 44,360 people. After a Federal Trade Commission investigation in 2024, it informed additional people. The lawsuit alleges Telmate failed to use adequate security and failed to notify people in time. Telmate denies all allegations and any wrongdoing.
Case Details
The case is Cooper v. Telmate, LLC, No. 1:24-cv-01622, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, before Senior U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. It was filed on September 13, 2024. Laukaitis Law LLC is Class Counsel.
A separate government action covered the same breach: the FTC finalized an order against Global Tel*Link, Telmate and TouchPay on February 23, 2024. That order required security changes but, as the class notice states, paid nothing to affected individuals. The court-appointed settlement website is telmatedatabreachsettlement.com.
Status: Settled, Claims Open Until December 21, 2026
The final approval hearing is listed for February 12, 2027 at 10:00 a.m. ET in Alexandria, Virginia. The long-form notice prints that date with the year 2026, which is evidently a typo; check the settlement website for the current date. No payment date exists yet. Our news report has the breakdown: Telmate settlement: what $4.225 million means per person.
Don't miss the claim deadline
Claims are due by December 21, 2026. We'll email you 7 days and 1 day before the deadline.
Who Is in the Settlement Class
The class is all individuals in the United States whose personal information was impacted in the Telmate security incident of approximately August 13, 2020 — about 431,031 people. Typical members are family members and friends who used GettingOut or Telmate phone and visitation services, and people who used those services while incarcerated.
The practical test is your mail. If you got a breach letter from Telmate or Viapath, either in 2020 or after the FTC investigation in 2024, keep it. A notice from Kroll Settlement Administration about Cooper v. Telmate means you are on the class list. Not sure? Call the administrator at (833) 453-3721.
What the Telmate Settlement Pays
Pro rata cash payment — no documentation needed. The fund, minus administration costs, fees and approved loss claims, is split equally among everyone who files a valid claim. Spread over all 431,031 class members, the gross fund is about $9.80 each; our news report puts it near $5.30 after the requested fees and costs. Because only claimants share the remainder, the real amount depends on how many people file.
Documented out-of-pocket losses — up to $5,000 per person for unreimbursed losses more likely than not caused by the breach. You need third-party proof such as receipts, phone records or correspondence; a personal statement alone does not count.
Class Counsel will request up to one-third of the fund ($1,408,333.33) in fees, up to $35,000 in costs and a $5,000 service award, all paid before class members.
How cases like this one end
Our copy of the federal courts’ own case database covers 83,315 other statutory actions casesclosed in U.S. federal district courts between 2015 and 2026, 11.8% of them filed as class actions:
- 25.6% ended in a settlement recorded by the court. Another 22.4% were dismissed voluntarily, which often follows a private settlement — so the real settlement share sits between 25.6% and 47.9%.
- 7.4% were decided on a motion before any trial.
- 1 in 156 reached a trial (0.6%), after a median of 21.8 months.
- Median time from filing to the end of the case: 4.9 months.
- Only 1,756 of them (2.1%) record a money award at all; the median of those is $199,500.
These are base rates for this type of case (federal other statutory actions cases) — not a prediction about this lawsuit, and not legal advice. Source: Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (civil), analysed by Settlement Insight. Cases heard in state courts are not included.
Telmate Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
August 11–13, 2020 — The Breach
An outside party accesses files on Telmate's network. Telmate later notifies 44,360 people.
- 2
February 23, 2024 — FTC Order Finalized
After a complaint first announced in November 2023, the FTC finalizes its order against Global Tel*Link, Telmate and TouchPay. The FTC says Global Tel*Link waited about nine months to notify customers and contacted only 45,000 users.
- 3
September 13, 2024 — Class Action Filed
Cooper v. Telmate, LLC, No. 1:24-cv-01622, is filed in the Eastern District of Virginia.
- 4
April 2, 2026 — Mediation Deal
A full-day mediation produces an agreement in principle on a $4,225,000 settlement.
- 5
August 2026 — Preliminary Approval
The court preliminarily approves the settlement, according to case reports, and Kroll begins notice.
- 6
December 21, 2026 and February 12, 2027 — Deadline, Then Hearing
Claims, opt-outs and objections are due December 21, 2026. The final approval hearing is listed for February 12, 2027.
Three Things to Watch For
This class is made up largely of families of incarcerated people, and that makes them an easy target for imposters:
“Telmate settlement” calls asking for money
Filing is free. Kroll does not charge a fee to release your payment or ask you to load money onto a GettingOut or commissary account. The only official site is telmatedatabreachsettlement.com.
Lookalike claim sites asking for your full SSN
Social Security numbers were among the exposed fields, so a fake “Telmate claim” page is a way to collect them a second time. Type the official address yourself rather than following a texted link.
“Your inmate account refund” messages
This settlement is about the 2020 data breach. It does not refund call charges or account balances. A message that mixes the two, or asks for your loved one's inmate ID and your card number, is not from the administrator.
Telmate Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
Is there a Telmate class action lawsuit settlement?
Yes. Cooper v. Telmate, LLC, No. 1:24-cv-01622 in the Eastern District of Virginia, settled for $4,225,000. It covers the August 2020 data breach. Claims are due December 21, 2026.
How much is the Telmate class action lawsuit payout?
Nobody knows the exact amount yet. The pro rata cash share depends on how many valid claims are filed. Documented losses are reimbursed up to $5,000 per person with third-party proof. Spread across all 431,031 class members, the fund works out to about $9.80 each before deductions.
How do I file a Telmate claim?
File online at telmatedatabreachsettlement.com, or mail the claim form to Cooper v. Telmate LLC d/b/a Viapath Technologies, c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, P.O. Box 225391, New York, NY 10150-5391, postmarked by December 21, 2026.
When will Telmate settlement payments be sent?
Only after the court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved. The final approval hearing is listed for February 12, 2027, so no payment can arrive before then. No payment date has been announced.
Are class action settlements real? Is the Telmate notice legitimate?
Yes, this one is real. The notice states that a federal court authorized it and that it is not a solicitation from a lawyer. Check by typing telmatedatabreachsettlement.com yourself or calling (833) 453-3721, the number printed on the notice.
I never got a letter. Can I still be in the class?
Possibly. In 2020 Telmate notified only 44,360 people. The FTC said many more may have been affected, and others were told after its 2024 investigation. The class is defined by whose data was impacted, not by who got a letter. Call the administrator to check.
What happens if I do nothing?
You get no payment and you give up the right to sue Telmate over the claims this settlement resolves. To keep that right, you must opt out by mail, postmarked by December 21, 2026.
Does the FTC case pay anything?
No. The FTC order of February 23, 2024 required Global Tel*Link, Telmate and TouchPay to improve security and handle breach notices properly. The class notice says it provided no money to affected individuals. This settlement is the monetary part.
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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