In August of 2024, the rental car company Avis suffered a data breach in which personal and financial information of 299,000 of its customers was compromised.  The compromised information included names, mailing addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, driver’s license numbers and credit card information.  This information put Avis’ customers in danger of identity theft and other scams.  A class action was filed in September of 2024 alleging that Avis was negligent in failing to implement reasonable security measures. and now that lawsuit has been settled with class members eligible to receive up to $5,000 for documented, unreimbursed losses suffered as a result of the data breach.  Class members who did not experience out-of-pocket losses will also receive cash payments from the settlement.  The amount of the payments will depend upon on the number of class members making claims.  The settlement is scheduled for a final approving hearing before a judge who must approve the settlement On July 28, 2026.

TIPS

In order to be eligible for a payment you must have had personal information compromised in the 2024 data breach and must submit a claim form before June 21, 2026.  You can submit a claim form here. https://www.avisdatasecuritysettlement.com/submit-claim

This data breach is a good example of why you should not use your debit card for anything other than as an ATM card.   While your liability for fraudulent use of your credit card is limited by law to no more than $50, when you use your debit card, you are making a direct withdrawal from the bank account tied to your card.  If your debit card security is breached such as in a data breach your liability is five hundred dollars if you do not report the fraudulent use within two business days after learning of the breach and if you are not regularly monitoring your bank statements and do not report the fraudulent use for more than sixty days after your bank statement with the fraudulent charges is sent to you, your liability is unlimited.  This is why you should only use your debit card at ATMs and not for direct shopping.

Finally, be wary of anyone who calls you asking for personal information in regard to this or any other data breach as that is a favorite tactic of the hackers to lure you into providing personal information that can lead to your becoming a victim of identity theft.  Scammers often pose as the breached company and contact victims of the data breach to convince them to provide personal information.

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