Academy Mortgage Data Breach Settlement, $1.995 Million, Up to $3,000, Claim by January 27, 2027

If Academy Mortgage Corporation sent you a notice about its March 2023 data breach, you may be able to claim benefits from a $1,995,000 class action settlement. Eligible people can claim up to $3,000 for documented losses, a pro rata cash payment (no receipts needed), and three years of credit monitoring. You can request any or all three.

You must file a claim. Nothing is sent automatically. The claim deadline is January 27, 2027. If you want to opt out or object, you have to act sooner: December 28, 2026.

The settlement is not final yet. Judge David Barlow granted preliminary approval on September 29, 2026, and the final fairness hearing is set for March 31, 2027. You do not have to wait for that hearing to file.

Official settlement website: academymortgagesettlement.com Online claim form: Submit your claim (you need the Class Member ID printed on your notice)

Academy Mortgage $1.995 Million Settlement: Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Case name	Stern, et al. v. Academy Mortgage Corporation
Case number	2:24-cv-00015-DBB-DAO
Court	U.S. District Court for the District of Utah
Judge	David Barlow
Settlement fund	$1,995,000
Breach discovered	March 21, 2023
People affected	About 284,443
Information potentially exposed	Names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, financial information
Who is covered	Living U.S. residents whom Academy Mortgage notified that their information may have been affected
Documented losses	Up to $3,000 per person, with documentation
Pro rata cash payment	Amount not announced; no documentation needed
California residents	Twice the standard pro rata amount, with a sworn residency attestation
Credit monitoring	3 years
Claim required	Yes
Claim deadline	January 27, 2027 (online by 11:59 p.m. MT, or mail postmarked)
Opt-out deadline	December 28, 2026 (postmarked)
Objection deadline	December 28, 2026
Final fairness hearing	March 31, 2027, 10:30 a.m. MT
Status	Preliminary approval granted September 29, 2026; final approval pending
Administrator	Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, (833) 453-2018

The $1.995 million is the size of the whole fund. It is not what each person receives.

What Happened in the Academy Mortgage Data Breach?

Academy Mortgage is a Utah-based mortgage lender that is now part of Guild Mortgage, according to National Mortgage News. A mortgage file holds far more than an ordinary online account: Social Security numbers, dates of birth, income records, bank information, and in some cases copies of IDs. A leaked password can be changed. A Social Security number cannot.

Here is the timeline from the court record and public filings:

Date	Event
March 21, 2023	Academy discovers unauthorized access to its network
May 2023	The ransomware group BlackCat (also called ALPHV) allegedly claims responsibility and demands a ransom; stolen data allegedly appears on the dark web around May 14, 2023
December 20, 2023	Academy begins notifying affected customers and employees
June 2024	Several lawsuits over the breach are consolidated
October 8, 2025	Judge Barlow largely denies Academy’s motion to dismiss (the unjust enrichment claim is dismissed)
September 29, 2026	Court grants preliminary approval of the settlement

The lawsuit alleges the leaked material included mortgage applications, financial statements, signed mortgage documents, driver’s licenses and passports. Those are allegations, and the record does not show that every affected person had every type of information exposed.

Notification came roughly nine months after the breach was found. The plaintiffs argued that delay left people exposed longer. Academy denies wrongdoing, and the settlement is not a finding that it delayed notice on purpose.

California regulators also acted

Separately from the lawsuit, California’s Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) ordered Academy Mortgage to pay $825,000. The agency said the company had “serious, longstanding” cybersecurity and recordkeeping problems, and that more than 284,443 people were affected, including at least 34,452 California residents. As part of the consent order, Academy must offer affected California customers 12 months of free identity theft insurance, which they must opt in to receive. That order is separate from this settlement.

What Is the Academy Mortgage Lawsuit About?

Six named plaintiffs (Lazaro Stern, Celeste Allen, Lisa Kucherry, Peter Smith, Sharon Thompson and Charly Bates) sued Academy Mortgage, claiming it failed to protect personal information. The claims include:

• Negligence, for allegedly failing to use reasonable security measures
• Breach of implied contract, based partly on the privacy policy’s security promises
• Invasion of privacy
• State consumer protection violations, including California’s Consumer Privacy Act, Customer Records Act and Unfair Competition Law, plus Washington and Idaho consumer protection laws

In the October 8, 2025 ruling, the court let most claims go forward. It noted allegations such as a fraudulent loan opened in one plaintiff’s name about 31 days after the breach. Those were allegations at the motion-to-dismiss stage, not findings that Academy caused the fraud.

After two full-day mediations, the parties reached a deal. Academy denies all wrongdoing, and the court has not ruled on the merits.

Who Qualifies for the Academy Mortgage Settlement?

The settlement class is all living people residing in the United States whom Academy Mortgage notified that their personal information may have been impacted by the data incident.

A few points people ask about:

• Notice is the key. Eligibility follows the notice, not simply having once applied for a loan.
• Former customers and employees can qualify if they got the notice. You do not need an active loan.
• You do not need to have suffered identity theft to claim the cash payment or credit monitoring.
• You do not need to live in Utah. The settlement is nationwide.
• No notice? If you think you were affected but never got one, call Kroll at (833) 453-2018 and ask whether you are on the class list.

Excluded: Academy Mortgage and entities it controls, certain officers, directors and legal representatives, the judge and court staff and their immediate families, the attorneys for the parties, and anyone who validly opts out.

What Does the Academy Mortgage Settlement Pay?

1. Up to $3,000 for documented losses

This covers unreimbursed, out-of-pocket losses reasonably tied to the breach or your efforts to deal with it. Examples:

• Credit monitoring you paid for from March 21, 2023 through January 27, 2027
• Losses from actual fraud or identity theft
• Bank fees
• Long-distance phone charges
• Postage and local travel

You need reasonable third-party documentation (receipts, bank or card statements, phone bills, correspondence) and an attestation that the expense was breach-related. You cannot claim anything that was already reimbursed by another source. The $3,000 is a cap, not a guaranteed amount.

2. Pro rata cash payment

This is a one-time cash payment with no documentation. The official site gives no dollar figure, because the amount depends on what is left in the fund and how many valid claims come in. Treat any specific number you see on other sites as a guess.

California residents get double. If you lived in California and submit a sworn attestation of residency, your pro rata payment is twice the standard amount. For example, if the standard payment ended up at $40, a California claimant would receive $80. That figure is only an illustration. The doubling applies to the pro rata payment only, not to the $3,000 cap.

3. Three years of credit monitoring

The package includes one-bureau credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, identity theft insurance of up to $1 million, and managed identity recovery services. The $1 million is an insurance coverage limit, not a cash payment. If you choose this benefit, Kroll will send an activation code after final approval.

Can you claim all three?

Yes. You can request any or all of them in one claim, subject to the fund rules below.

How the $1.995 Million Fund Is Divided

Because this is a common fund, the money pays for more than claims. According to the Settlement Agreement, it is spent in this order:

1. Administration costs, taxes, court-approved service awards, and court-approved attorneys’ fees and expenses
2. Credit monitoring
3. Documented loss claims
4. Pro rata cash payments from whatever remains

Class counsel is asking the court to approve:

Request	Amount
Attorneys’ fees	Up to one-third of the fund, about $665,000
Litigation expenses	Up to $50,000
Service awards	2,500foreachofsixclassrepresentatives(15,000 total)

The judge must approve each of these. If every request were granted in full, about $1.265 million would remain before administration costs and taxes. That is the money that has to cover monitoring, documented losses and cash payments for a class of roughly 285,000 people.

There may be no ordinary pro rata payment. If valid documented-loss claims use up the remaining fund, those claims are reduced proportionally and no standard pro rata payments are paid. The California double payment depends on the pro rata payment being available. This is why the official site does not promise a set cash amount. If you have real expenses, file the documented-loss claim and keep your records.

For a settlement with a similar structure and a different payout, see our coverage of the American Renal Management $900,000 Data Breach Settlement, $100 Estimated Payment, Up to $5,000, Claim by December 21, 2026. Every settlement sets its own class, deadlines and payment order, so being eligible for one does not make you eligible for another.

How to File an Academy Mortgage Settlement Claim

1. Find your Class Member ID on the notice from Kroll Settlement Administration.
2. Open the online claim form and enter the ID.
3. Select your benefits: documented losses, pro rata cash, credit monitoring, or all three.
4. Attach documents for any documented-loss request. California residents should complete the residency attestation.
5. Review, submit and save your confirmation.

By mail: Download the paper form from the Documents page and send it, postmarked by January 27, 2027, to:

Stern, et al. v. Academy Mortgage Corporation c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC P.O. Box 225391 New York, NY 10150-5391

Lost your notice? Call (833) 453-2018 before guessing at an ID. And watch for scams: use only the official site, never pay anyone to file for you, and do not send your Social Security number or bank details to any other website.

Important Dates

Event	Date
Opt-out deadline (postmarked)	December 28, 2026
Objection deadline	December 28, 2026
Claim deadline	January 27, 2027
Final fairness hearing	March 31, 2027, 10:30 a.m. MT
Payment date	Not announced

Your Options: File a Claim, Opt Out, Object or Do Nothing

Option	What it means	Deadline
File a claim	The only way to get benefits. You stay in the class.	January 27, 2027
Opt out	No benefits, but you keep the right to sue Academy yourself over the settled claims	December 28, 2026
Object	You tell the court what you dislike about the settlement. You stay in the class and can still claim.	December 28, 2026
Do nothing	No benefits, and you give up the right to sue over the settled claims if the court approves it	None

To opt out, mail a signed written request with your full name and contact information, clearly stating you want to be excluded, to: Stern, et al. v. Academy Mortgage Corporation, c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, ATTN: Requests for Exclusion, P.O. Box 225391, New York, NY 10150-5391. It must be postmarked by December 28, 2026. You cannot object if you opt out.

Opting out and doing nothing both change your legal rights, so if you are unsure, read the Settlement Agreement and consider talking to a licensed attorney.

When Will Academy Mortgage Settlement Payments Be Sent?

There is no payment date yet. The final fairness hearing is March 31, 2027, at 10:30 a.m. Mountain Time at the Orrin G. Hatch United States Courthouse, 351 South West Temple, Room 8.100, Salt Lake City, Utah. Judge Barlow will decide whether the settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate and whether to approve the fees, expenses and service awards. Benefits go out only after final approval and after any appeals are resolved. Hearing dates can change, so check the official website.

What to Do Now to Protect Yourself

Whether or not you claim anything, a notice that says your Social Security number may have been exposed is worth acting on:

• Place a free credit freeze with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, and consider a fraud alert.
• Review your reports for free at AnnualCreditReport.com.
• If someone has misused your identity, report it and get a recovery plan at the FTC’s IdentityTheft.gov.
• Keep receipts and statements for any breach-related cost, since you will need them for the documented-loss claim.

We have also covered how claims differ in other recent breach settlements, such as the Benworth Capital Partners Data Breach Settlement, Claim $50 or Up to $5,000 by December 21, 2026 and the Bauer Built Tire & Service Data Breach Settlement, $45 Cash or Up to $5,500 Plus Credit Monitoring.

Academy Mortgage Data Breach Settlement FAQ

Is the Academy Mortgage settlement real?

Yes. Judge David Barlow granted preliminary approval on September 29, 2026, in Stern, et al. v. Academy Mortgage Corporation, Case No. 2:24-cv-00015-DBB-DAO. Final approval is still pending.

Who can get money from the Academy Mortgage settlement?

Living U.S. residents whom Academy Mortgage notified that their personal information may have been affected by the March 2023 breach.

How much can I get from the Academy Mortgage settlement?

Up to $3,000 for documented losses, plus a pro rata cash payment and three years of credit monitoring. The pro rata amount has not been announced and may be zero if earlier claims use up the fund.

Do I need to prove identity theft?

No, not for the cash payment or credit monitoring. Documented losses do require records of your expenses.

Do California residents get more money?

Yes. Qualifying California residents get twice the standard pro rata payment if they file a valid claim with a sworn residency attestation.

Can I claim the $3,000 and the cash payment together?

Yes. You can request any or all three benefits in one claim.

What if I never received a breach notice?

Call Kroll at (833) 453-2018 and ask whether Academy’s records list you as a class member.

Can former Academy Mortgage employees claim?

Yes, if they received the notice and fit the class definition.

What is the Academy Mortgage claim deadline?

January 27, 2027. Online claims are due by 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time and mailed claims must be postmarked by that date.

What is the opt-out and objection deadline?

December 28, 2026. Opt-out requests must be postmarked by then, and objections must follow the instructions in the official notice.

Does Academy Mortgage admit it did anything wrong?

No. The company denies the allegations, and the settlement resolves disputed claims without a finding of liability.

When will payments be sent?

After the court grants final approval and any appeals end. No date has been announced.

Bottom Line

The Academy Mortgage settlement offers up to $3,000 for documented losses, a pro rata cash payment and three years of credit monitoring, but only to people who file a valid claim by January 27, 2027. The cash payment is not guaranteed, because documented-loss and monitoring claims are paid first. If you plan to opt out or object, the date is December 28, 2026. If you received a notice, find your Class Member ID and decide which benefits to request.

Sources

1. Official settlement website
2. Long-form settlement notice
3. Settlement Agreement
4. Official FAQ and Documents page
5. Official online claim form
6. Preliminary Approval Order, September 29, 2026 (Doc. 113)
7. Order on Motion to Dismiss, October 8, 2025 (Doc. 79)
8. California DFPI press release, Academy Mortgage $825,000 consent order
9. Maine Attorney General breach notification
10. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(e); California Civil Code § 1798.100 et seq. (CCPA); California Civil Code § 1798.80 et seq. (Customer Records Act); California Business and Professions Code § 17200 et seq.; RCW 19.86 (Washington); Idaho Code § 48-601 et seq.

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the official settlement website, the Settlement Agreement, the September 29, 2026 preliminary approval order, the October 8, 2025 court order and the California DFPI announcement, as of October 31, 2026. Last Updated: October 31, 2026. The Notice and Settlement Agreement control if they differ from this summary.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney. Deadlines, amounts and court dates can change, so confirm them on the official settlement website before you act.