$2.35M City of Long Beach Data Breach Settlement, Are You Eligible for Payment?

The City of Long Beach has agreed to a $2,350,000 data breach settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit stemming from a November 2023 cyberattack in which hackers may have accessed the sensitive personal data of approximately 470,000 residents — with each eligible person expected to receive roughly $5 after filing a claim, according to Long Beach Deputy City Attorney Howard Russell. 

The lawsuit alleged that Long Beach failed to protect Social Security numbers, biometric information, driver’s license and passport numbers, health insurance information, taxpayer identification numbers, and medical details stored on the city’s network. The city has not admitted liability, and the settlement is funded by its insurance carriers.

Quick Facts

Field	Detail
Settlement Amount	$2,350,000
Claim Deadline	TBD — official notice and claim portal details pending; eligible residents will be notified by mail or email
Who Qualifies	Long Beach residents whose personal data was potentially compromised in the November 2023 cyberattack
Estimated Payout Per Person	~$5 pro-rata (based on ~470,000 eligible residents)
Proof Required	TBD — claim process details not yet published as of April 23, 2026
Settlement Status	Agreed — pending formal court approval
Case Name & Number	TBD — case number not confirmed in available public records as of April 23, 2026
Administrator	TBD — settlement administrator not yet announced as of April 23, 2026
Official Claim Site	TBD — residents will be contacted directly by mail or email
Last Updated	April 23, 2026

What Is the Long Beach Data Breach Settlement About?

The City of Long Beach agreed to pay $2.35 million to settle a class action lawsuit over a cyberattack in which hackers may have accessed Social Security numbers, biometric information, driver’s licenses and passport numbers, health insurance information, taxpayer identification numbers, and medical details stored in the city’s digital network.

City officials say they learned of the “network security incident” on November 14, 2023. The next day, the city sent out an online notice that it was working diligently to identify the source and scope of the incident. On April 14, 2025, after a 15-month-long audit, the city mailed out notices to hundreds of thousands of people potentially affected by the breach.

The class action lawsuit stems from several individual claims that were consolidated under one case. One plaintiff alleged he experienced a substantial increase in suspicious scam phone calls and emails after the data breach, and claimed that someone made a fraudulent purchase of $300 in alcohol at a 7-Eleven store. Another plaintiff claimed that she found her Social Security number on the dark web after the breach. This case follows a growing pattern of [municipal data breach class action settlements] that hold government entities accountable for failures to protect residents’ sensitive information.

Do You Qualify for the Long Beach Data Breach Settlement?

You may qualify if:

• You are a Long Beach resident whose personal information was stored in the city’s digital network
• Your data was potentially compromised in the November 2023 cyberattack
• You received a breach notification letter from the City of Long Beach, mailed on or after April 14, 2025
• You have not already opted out or pursued a separate individual lawsuit against the city

Those eligible to receive payment will be notified by mail or email and can opt into the settlement or opt out to pursue an individual lawsuit against the city. If you believe you are eligible but have not received a notification, monitor the city’s official communications and this page for updates on the official claims process.

How Much Money Can You Get from the Long Beach Settlement?

Payment from the settlement, funded by the city’s insurance carriers, comes out to $5 each for the 470,000 Long Beach residents who could potentially sue the city over the data breach.

The $5 per-person figure is a pro-rata estimate — meaning the $2,350,000 fund is divided equally among all eligible claimants. A pro-rata distribution is a method where the total fund is split proportionally based on the number of valid claims filed. If fewer than 470,000 residents file valid claims, individual payouts could be higher. If more file, amounts could decrease further. The final per-person amount will not be confirmed until after the claims period closes and the court grants final approval.

The settlement is funded entirely by the city’s insurance carriers. The decision to settle was made by those carriers, who made a business decision to settle given the significant cost of taking the case to trial. The city has separately budgeted an additional $1 million for cybersecurity tools and training in the wake of the breach — a structural change that is not part of the settlement itself.

How to File a Long Beach Settlement Claim

The official claim process has not yet been published as of April 23, 2026. Based on Deputy City Attorney Howard Russell’s statements, here is what eligible residents should do now:

1. Watch your mail and email — the city will directly notify eligible residents with claim instructions
2. Keep your breach notification letter — if you received a letter from the City of Long Beach after April 14, 2025, save it as proof of eligibility
3. Decide whether to opt in or opt out — opting in means accepting the ~$5 settlement payment and releasing your claims against the city; opting out preserves your right to file an individual lawsuit
4. Do not contact the city directly — official claim instructions will come through the settlement administrator once announced
5. Monitor this page for updates on the official claim portal, deadline, and administrator contact information

Estimated time to complete: TBD — claim process not yet announced as of April 23, 2026.

Key Dates

Milestone	Date
Cyberattack Discovered by City	November 14, 2023
City Posts Online Security Notice	November 15, 2023
Breach Notification Letters Mailed to Residents	April 14, 2025
Settlement Agreement Announced	April 22, 2026
Opt-Out Deadline	TBD — not yet published as of April 23, 2026
Objection Deadline	TBD — not yet published as of April 23, 2026
Final Approval Hearing	TBD — not yet scheduled in available public records as of April 23, 2026
Claim Filing Deadline	TBD — residents will be notified directly
Expected Payment Date	TBD — pending final court approval

Long Beach Data Breach Settlement: Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Long Beach settlement legitimate?

 Yes. The settlement was confirmed by Long Beach Deputy City Attorney Howard Russell in a statement to the Long Beach Post, published April 22, 2026. The $2,350,000 fund is paid by the city’s insurance carriers. The city has not admitted liability, but both sides agreed to resolve the claims rather than proceed to trial.

Why is the payout only $5 per person? 

The $5 per-person estimate is based on the $2.35 million settlement fund divided across 470,000 Long Beach residents who could potentially sue the city. Small per-person payouts are common in large municipal data breach settlements because the class size is very large. Residents who experienced documented financial losses — like fraudulent charges or identity theft — may want to consider opting out to pursue a higher individual claim.

What data was exposed in the Long Beach cyberattack?

 Hackers may have accessed Social Security numbers, biometric information, driver’s licenses and passport numbers, health insurance information, taxpayer identification numbers, and medical details stored in the city’s digital network. The city has refused to disclose how the breach occurred, citing concerns about exposing remaining vulnerabilities.

Why won’t Long Beach say how the breach happened?

 Long Beach officials refuse to say how the breach happened. City spokesperson Laath Martin said doing so could expose vulnerabilities that someone might try to further exploit. The 15-month gap between the November 2023 breach and April 2025 notification letters has drawn criticism from affected residents and privacy advocates.

Should I opt in or opt out?

 That depends on your individual situation. Opting in gives you the ~$5 payment and releases your legal claims against the city. Opting out preserves your right to file an individual lawsuit — which may be worth pursuing if you experienced documented financial harm, identity theft, or fraud traceable to the breach. Consult a qualified attorney before deciding, especially if you suffered out-of-pocket losses as a result of the breach.

When will I receive my payment? 

No payment date has been announced as of April 23, 2026. Payments will not be issued until after the court grants final approval of the settlement and any appeals are resolved. Eligible residents will be notified directly by mail or email with claim instructions and timeline details.

Sources & References

• Long Beach Post — Thousands eligible for payments under data breach settlement. Long Beach still won’t say how it happened. April 22, 2026 (reporting by Jacob Sisneros): https://lbpost.com/news/long-beach-data-breach-lawsuit-settlement-payments/

Reported by the AllAboutLawyer.com Editorial Team and verified against the Long Beach Post report published April 22, 2026, citing Long Beach Deputy City Attorney Howard Russell and city spokesperson Laath Martin. Last Updated: April 23, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Information about this settlement is based on publicly available reporting as of April 23, 2026. The settlement has not yet received final court approval, and no payments will be issued until that approval is granted. If you experienced financial losses or identity theft as a result of the Long Beach data breach, consult a qualified attorney before deciding whether to opt in or opt out of this settlement.