Macmillan Publishing Data Breach Settlement (Current & Former Employees)

Macmillan has agreed to pay $500,000 to settle a class action lawsuit for alleged unauthorized access and theft of personal information. This settlement is intended to compensate individuals whose personally identifiable information (PII) was potentially compromised in a data security incident that occurred in June 2022. Affected individuals can claim various benefits, including credit monitoring, reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses, and compensation for lost time and extraordinary losses.

Can I Claim an Award?

If you received a notice from Macmillan regarding the data security incident that occurred in June 2022, you may be eligible to claim an award. The settlement class includes individuals, namely current and former employees, residing in the United States whose PII was potentially compromised in the incident. The affected information varied by individual and could include names, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, financial account information, and online account credentials.

What Awards Can Class Members Claim?

The settlement provides several benefits to class members. Class members are eligible for two years of credit monitoring and identity theft protection with $1 million in insurance through Pango Group.

Additionally, class members can claim three types of reimbursements:

• Ordinary Loss Expense Reimbursement: Up to $600 for documented out-of-pocket expenses such as bank fees, long-distance phone charges, cell phone charges, data charges, postage, gasoline for local travel, and fees for credit reports, credit monitoring, or other identity theft insurance products purchased between June 16, 2022, and July 12, 2024.
• Lost Time Reimbursement: Up to three hours of lost time actually spent responding to issues raised by the data security incident, calculated at $30 per hour, if at least one full hour was spent dealing with the incident.
• Extraordinary Loss Reimbursement: Up to $4,500 for unreimbursed documented extraordinary losses for proven actual monetary losses arising from documented identity theft more likely than not caused by the data security incident.

Is Proof Required to Claim the Reward?

Yes, proof is required to claim the reward. Class members must submit a valid claim form with supporting third-party documentation to receive reimbursement for ordinary and extraordinary losses. The required proof includes:

• Ordinary Loss Expense Reimbursement: Third-party documentation such as telephone bills, cell phone bills, gas receipts, postage receipts, and bank account statements reflecting out-of-pocket expenses.
• Lost Time Reimbursement: A specific written description of how the time was spent and an attestation under penalty of perjury that the lost time was spent responding to the data security incident.
• Extraordinary Loss Reimbursement: Documentation of the identity theft and extraordinary loss expenses, such as bank statements, credit card statements, letters from the IRS or other tax authorities, letters from state unemployment agencies, and police reports.

How to Claim Your Award

To claim your award, you must submit a valid claim form by July 12, 2024. You can submit your claim online at or download a paper claim form from the official settlement website and mail it to the claims administrator.

How do I Get Paid?

Class members can choose from several payment options when submitting their claim form. The available payment options include:

• PayPal
• Venmo
• Zelle
• Virtual prepaid card
• Physical check

$500,000 Settlement Fund Breakdown

The total settlement amount is $500,000. This amount will be used to provide benefits to class members, including reimbursement for ordinary and extraordinary losses, credit monitoring services, and attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses.

Settlement Class Counsel will apply to the court for an award of combined attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses in an amount not to exceed $275,000. The court will make the final decision on the amount to be paid to Settlement Class Counsel. Additionally, the class representatives will each receive a service award of up to $2,000 for their efforts in bringing the lawsuit.

Important Dates

• Deadline to Exclude Yourself from the Settlement: June 12, 2024
• Deadline to File a Claim: July 12, 2024
• Final Approval Hearing: August 14, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. EDT

Why is There a Class Action Settlement?

The settlement addresses the data security incident that occurred in June 2022, where certain information was accessed without authorization and taken from Macmillan U.S. systems. The incident affected the PII of certain individuals, including current and former employees. The potentially affected information varied by individual and included names, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, financial account information, and online account credentials.

By agreeing to settle, both sides avoid the cost, disruption, and distraction of further litigation. The class representatives, defendants, and their attorneys believe the proposed settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate and in the best interests of settlement class members. The court did not decide in favor of the plaintiffs or defendants.