Goodwill Data Breach Class Action Settlement

If you reside in the United States and received notice that your personal information was affected by a data breach at MERS Missouri Goodwill Industries in or around March 2023, you may be eligible to submit a claim for up to $5,000 from a class action settlement.

MERS Missouri Goodwill Industries has agreed to pay $500,000 to settle a class action lawsuit regarding a cybersecurity incident that allegedly exposed individuals’ personal information.

Who can file a data breach claim?

Class members must meet the following criteria:

• You reside in the United States and your personal information was impacted by the cybersecurity incident that occurred at MERS Goodwill in or around March 2023.
• You received notice of the data breach from MERS Goodwill.

How much is the class action settlement payment?

Class members can claim one or more of these options:

• Credit Monitoring: All class members can claim two years of credit monitoring and identity theft protection services.
• Ordinary Losses: You can submit for up to $500 per claimant for out-of-pocket expenses related to the data breach. This includes unreimbursed losses from fraud or identity theft, professional fees, and credit monitoring costs incurred after the breach notice.
• Lost Time: Class members can claim $25 per hour for up to four hours of time spent dealing with issues related to the data incident, a total of $100. This is included in the $500 cap for ordinary losses.
• Extraordinary Losses: You can claim up to $5,000 per for documented, unreimbursed monetary losses that were traceable to the cybersecurity incident and not covered by other reimbursement categories.
• Alternative Cash Payment: Class members that do not claim Ordinary Losses, Lost Time, or Extraordinary Losses can submit for a cash payment of $50.

How to claim a data breach class action rebate

To receive a settlement payment, class members must submit a claim form by the deadline of July 7, 2025. You can file a claim online or print the PDF claim form to mail to the settlement administrator.

Settlement Administrator's mailing address: MERS Missouri Goodwill Settlement, c/o RG/2 Claims Administration, P.O. Box 59479, Philadelphia, PA 19102-9479

Required proof and information

• Notice ID and Pin from notice are required to submit an online claim.
• Ordinary Losses claims require documentation such as receipts, bank or credit card statements, invoices, or other proof of expenses or unreimbursed losses.
• Extraordinary Losses claims require proof of the financial losses likely caused by the data breach, and evidence of efforts to recover the loss. This includes police report, proof of falsified tax returns, or other documentation showing fraud caused by identity theft.

Claim payout options

• PayPal
• Venmo
• Zelle
• Virtual prepaid card
• Physical check mailed to provided address

Data breach settlement fund breakdown

The settlement fund will include:

• Service awards to class representatives: Up to $5,000 each, a total of $10,000
• Credit monitoring services: Cost determined by the number of valid claims
• Payments to approved claimants: The remainder of the $500,000 settlement fund
• Settlement administration costs: Up $50,000 paid by the defendant separate from the settlement fund
• Attorneys' fees and costs: Up to $330,000 paid by the defendant separate from the settlement fund

Important dates

• Fairness Hearing: July 10, 2025
• Deadline to File a Claim: July 7, 2025

When is the Goodwill data breach settlement payout date?

The final approval hearing is scheduled for July 10, 2025. Payments to class members with approved claims will be issued approximately 90 days after the court grants approval.

Why did this class action lawsuit and settlement happen?

This class action lawsuit was filed after a cybersecurity incident at MERS Missouri Goodwill Industries in March 2023 allegedly compromised individuals' private information. Plaintiffs claimed that MERS Goodwill failed to adequately protect their data.

The company denied any wrongdoing but agreed to settle to avoid the expense and delays further litigation would cause.

Sources

1. Official Settlement Website
2. Class Notice