Something unexpected is happening in the United States, with thousands of people talking about it. On social media, posts from users proudly sharing news that nobody saw coming are multiplying.
The main characters are customers of T-Mobile, and the reason why many are celebrating has its origin in a problem that seemed to have been left in the past. Now it's generating unexpected joy among those who knew how to take advantage of the moment.
Everything started with a major scandal. In 2021, T-Mobile suffered a serious security breach that compromised the personal data of more than 76 million users. The leak included sensitive information such as names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and other private details.
This triggered a wave of outrage and lawsuits from those affected. Many accused the company of not having adequately protected their information.
T-Mobile compensated those affected
As a result, T-Mobile agreed to pay $350 million in compensation to settle the class action claim. Although this was announced some time ago, it's only now that the payments are reaching users' pockets. The surprise is huge in certain cases.
Since the end of May, many customers have started to receive their share of the settlement. The most curious thing is the difference in amounts. While some have received only between $25 and $100, others have received checks for up to $4,000.
This has caused all kinds of reactions, from gratitude to astonishment and regret from those who didn't file a claim in time.
The highest payments were granted to those who provided proof of expenses incurred to protect themselves after the leak. Some hired credit monitoring services, changed cards, consulted lawyers, or bought security software. In addition, those who invested time in resolving the damages could request compensation of up to $25 per hour worked.
Meanwhile, those who were simply on the list of affected people and couldn't prove direct losses received lower amounts. Even so, the compensation fund was distributed proportionally. Some users received more money than expected, since part of the leftover money was redistributed.
The victims celebrate
On forums like Reddit, many are celebrating having received these payments. There are even some who, jokingly, say they're glad their data were leaked. However, not all the news is good.
Some customers claim they filed a claim but still haven't received any payment, which is causing some frustration. In addition, a large portion of the money, approximately $46 million, will go to cover legal fees. Although this has caused criticism, for many, the most important thing is that T-Mobile was held responsible for their weak security system.