Urban One Data Breach Settlement: $675,000, Claims Close October 12, 2026
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This is the urban one settlement people are searching for: a $675,000 fund for about 13,778 people whose data was taken in the 2025 cyberattack on the Radio One and TV One parent company — mostly current and former employees. A federal judge in Maryland granted final approval on September 25, 2026. The claim deadline is October 12, 2026. If you got a notice with a Unique ID and PIN, it is real, and filing is the only way to get paid.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Urban One Lawsuit Says Happened
Urban One, Inc. is the Maryland media company behind Radio One and TV One. According to its breach notices, an unauthorized party got into its network starting February 13, 2025 through a “sophisticated social engineering campaign” and took company data. Urban One says it discovered the intrusion on March 15, 2025, and a forensic investigation confirmed by March 30, 2025 that employee information had been taken: names, addresses, Social Security numbers, direct deposit information and W-2 information.
The Cactus ransomware group claimed the attack on March 12, 2025, per The Record; that is the group's claim, not a finding. Notice letters went out dated April 18, 2025. The urban one class action that followed alleges the company failed to protect that data. Urban One denies wrongdoing, and the court never decided who was right.
Case Details
The case is Gomian Konneh v. Urban One, Inc., Case No. 8:25-cv-01460-PX, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, before Judge Paula Xinis. It was filed on May 5, 2025 by a former employee. The parties settled in mediation on September 17, 2025. Judge Xinis granted preliminary approval on April 30, 2026 and appointed Simpluris as settlement administrator, then granted final approval on September 25, 2026. The official site is UrbanOneDataIncident.com. Our news report on the final approval covers the court orders in detail.
Status: Approved, Claims Open Until October 12, 2026
October 12, 2026 is Columbus Day, a federal holiday. If you file on paper, mail it early or file online instead. Some listings still show August 31, 2026 as the claim deadline. That date is outdated; the official notice and website say October 12, 2026. Nothing has been paid yet.
Don't miss the claim deadline
Claims are due by October 12, 2026. We'll email you 7 days and 1 day before the deadline.
Who Is Covered by the Urban One Settlement
The court's class: “All individuals residing in the United States whose Private Information was potentially compromised in the Data Incident discovered by Urban One in March 2025, including all those individuals who received notice of the Data Incident.” The settlement covers about 13,778 people. In practice that means current and former Urban One employees whose payroll records were involved.
The practical test is your mail. If you received the settlement notice, Urban One's records list you as a class member. It carries a Unique ID and PIN that you need to file online. If you lost it, our claim ID lookup guide explains how to get it back. Excluded are the judge and court staff, Urban One itself, and anyone who opted out.
How Much the Urban One Settlement Pays
Option A — documented losses and lost time, up to $10,000. Out-of-pocket losses from the breach between March 15, 2025 and October 12, 2026 (identity theft, credit freezes, replacement IDs, postage), with receipts or statements. Lost time pays $25 an hour for up to 15 hours ($375). The first four hours (up to $100) only need a short description. The other 11 hours (up to $275) need proof of tax-related problems caused by the breach.
Option B — no-proof cash payment, up to $500. This is a pro rata share of whatever is left, so the more people claim, the less each gets. The $500 is a ceiling, not a promise.
Everyone can also enroll in three years of CyEx Financial Shield Total three-bureau credit monitoring with $1 million of fraud insurance. To see how claim rates move a pro rata payment, try the data breach settlement calculator.
How cases like this one end
Our copy of the federal courts’ own case database covers 123,245 other contract casesclosed in U.S. federal district courts between 2015 and 2025, 5.8% of them filed as class actions:
- 30.9% ended in a settlement recorded by the court. Another 20.2% were dismissed voluntarily, which often follows a private settlement — so the real settlement share sits between 30.9% and 51.1%.
- 7.6% were decided on a motion before any trial.
- 1 in 71 reached a trial (1.4%), after a median of 29.3 months.
- Median time from filing to the end of the case: 7.6 months.
- Only 7,369 of them (6%) record a money award at all; the median of those is $402,000.
These are base rates for this type of case (federal other contract 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.
Urban One Data Breach Timeline
- 1
February 13, 2025 — The Intrusion Begins
Per Urban One's notice, an unauthorized party gets into its network through a social engineering campaign.
- 2
March 15, 2025 — Urban One Discovers It
The company detects the incident. By March 30, a forensic review confirms employee data, including W-2 and direct deposit information, was taken.
- 3
April 18, 2025 — Breach Letters Go Out
Affected people are notified and offered 24 months of Experian credit monitoring. That enrollment window closed on July 31, 2025.
- 4
May 5, 2025 — The Class Action Is Filed
A former employee files Konneh v. Urban One in federal court in Maryland. The case settles in mediation on September 17, 2025.
- 5
April 30, 2026 — Preliminary Approval
Judge Paula Xinis preliminarily approves the $675,000 settlement and appoints Simpluris to send notices.
- 6
September 25, 2026 — Final Approval; Claims Due October 12
The court grants final approval with no opt-outs or objections. Claims are due October 12, 2026. Payments follow after any appeal period.
Three Things to Watch For
The stolen data here was payroll data — Social Security numbers, bank deposit details and W-2s. That shapes the scams:
Claim pages asking for your Social Security number
The real claim form asks for your name, contact details, the Unique ID from your notice and your benefit choice. It does not ask for your Social Security number or a bank account number. Type UrbanOneDataIncident.com yourself instead of clicking a link.
Tax-refund and IRS messages
W-2 and Social Security data is exactly what a fake tax return needs. Treat unexpected “IRS” texts, refund notices or calls with suspicion, and consider an IRS Identity Protection PIN. Real tax-fraud costs and time can count toward Option A, with proof.
“Late claim” or fee-to-file offers
After October 12, 2026, anyone promising to file a late Urban One claim or speed up your payment for a fee is not the administrator. Simpluris charges nothing and works only through the official site, (833) 360-6906 and the Santa Ana P.O. Box 25226.
Urban One Settlement — Questions People Actually Ask
Is the Urban One settlement notice real?
Yes, if it points to UrbanOneDataIncident.com and comes from Urban One Data Incident Settlement, P.O. Box 25226, Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958. The administrator is Simpluris, reachable at (833) 360-6906 or info@UrbanOneDataIncident.com. The case is Konneh v. Urban One, No. 8:25-cv-01460-PX (D. Md.).
What is the deadline to file an Urban One claim?
October 12, 2026 — online or by email by that date, or by mail postmarked no later than that date. The August 31, 2026 date on some sites is outdated. October 12, 2026 is a federal holiday, so mail paper forms early.
How much will I get from the Urban One settlement?
Either documented losses and lost time up to $10,000 (Option A), or a no-proof pro rata payment of up to $500 (Option B), plus three years of credit monitoring. The Option B amount depends on how many people claim and is not published yet.
Do I need proof to file?
Not for Option B, and not for up to four hours of lost time ($100), which only need a short description. Documented losses and the extra 11 hours of lost time require proof such as receipts or bank statements.
Who was affected by the Urban One data breach?
About 13,778 people, mainly current and former employees. Urban One's notices said the stolen data included names, addresses, Social Security numbers, direct deposit information and W-2 information. In Texas alone, 355 residents were reported.
When will Urban One settlement payments be sent?
Only after final approval and any appeal period. Approval came on September 25, 2026. Under the agreement, cash is due no later than 45 days after the settlement becomes effective — around December 11, 2026 by our count if nobody appeals. An appeal would delay that.
I lost my notice. Can I still file?
Yes, before October 12, 2026. You can download the paper claim form from the official site, or email the administrator with your full name and mailing address to have your Unique ID and PIN resent.
Is the old Experian credit monitoring offer the same thing?
No. Urban One's April 2025 letter offered 24 months of Experian monitoring, and that enrollment closed July 31, 2025. The settlement's three years of CyEx monitoring is a separate benefit that you request on the claim form.
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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