Californians have two weeks left to claim share of $5 million U-Haul data breach settlement

California residents affected by American moving and storage rental company U-Haul’s data breaches have just two weeks remaining to submit claims for a share of a $5 million settlement. The settlement is part of a class-action lawsuit resulting from cyberattacks in September 2022 and December 2023 that compromised sensitive consumer information, including names and driver’s license numbers.

U-Haul, widely known for its distinctive orange and white trucks and trailers, has denied any wrongdoing but agreed to a $5,085,000 settlement to resolve the lawsuit. Eligible customers could receive approximately $100, though the final amount may vary based on the submitted claims and other deductions, including legal fees and administrative costs.

To be eligible, individuals must have resided in California from November 5, 2021, to April 5, 2022, or around December 5, 2023. They must have received a Notice of Recent Security Incident from U-Haul regarding the breaches.

Claims must be filed by October 15, with a final approval hearing set for October 23. Those wishing to exclude themselves from the settlement or raise objections have until September 16. The timeline for disbursing payments to claimants remains uncertain, with officials advising patience.

This settlement highlights the growing concern of data breaches, particularly in the era of cloud computing. As per the Harvard Business Review, data breaches surged in recent years, with over 80% involving cloud-stored data in 2023. Companies’ unintentional misuse of cloud configurations often contributes to these breaches.