Fairmont Federal Credit Union $1.78M Data Breach Settlement, Who Qualifies, How to Claim Up to $7,640 by December 18, 2026

Fairmont Federal Credit Union (FFCU), a West Virginia credit union, has agreed to pay $1,783,857.64 to settle a class action over a data breach that affected about 187,038 people. Class members can claim up to $7,640 in documented losses and attested time, or take a smaller alternative cash payment of up to $150. Anyone who files a valid claim can also get three years of credit monitoring and identity restoration.

The deadline to claim, opt out or object is December 18, 2026, which is 55 days from today. The lawsuit is Butler v. Fairmont Federal Credit Union, No. 1:25-cv-00094-JPB, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia. FFCU denies all allegations and any wrongdoing. The court has not ruled on who is right, and the settlement still needs final approval.

Quick Facts: Fairmont Federal Credit Union Data Breach Settlement

Detail	Information
Case	Butler v. Fairmont Federal Credit Union, No. 1:25-cv-00094-JPB
Court	U.S. District Court, Northern District of West Virginia
Settlement fund	$1,783,857.64
Unauthorized access period	September 30, 2023 to October 18, 2023
People reported affected	187,038
Who qualifies	Individuals in the United States whose private information was potentially affected by the incident, including current and former customers and people who engaged in financial transactions with those customers
Documented losses	Up to $7,500 per person
Attested time	Up to 4 hours at $35 per hour (up to $140)
Alternative cash payment	Up to $150, possibly reduced pro rata
Credit monitoring	Three years of one-bureau monitoring and identity restoration, with $1 million in identity theft insurance
Claim, opt-out and objection deadline	December 18, 2026
Final approval hearing	February 8, 2027, 2:30 p.m. ET
Settlement administrator	Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, (833) 453-2784
Official website	ffcudatasettlement.com
Class counsel	The Giatras Law Firm and Lynch Carpenter, LLP

What Happened in the Fairmont Federal Credit Union Data Breach?

Unauthorized people were in FFCU’s systems between September 30 and October 18, 2023, and accessed or took files that held personal information. The credit union found the problem in January 2024. Notices to affected people began going out around September 11, 2025, nearly two years after the intrusion. Breach-notification records list 187,038 affected individuals.

What was exposed differs from person to person. Notice letters described items such as names, dates of birth, addresses, Social Security numbers, passport numbers, driver’s license or state ID numbers, bank and card information, and for some people health insurance and treatment information. Not every item was exposed for everyone.

FFCU said it was not aware of identity fraud resulting from the incident when it sent its notices, and it offered affected people free credit monitoring. That is not the same as saying nobody was harmed. Stolen personal data can be misused long after a breach.

What Does the Fairmont Federal Credit Union Lawsuit Allege?

The plaintiffs say FFCU failed to protect personal and health information stored on its IT systems, which let unauthorized people get in. They sued for negligence, negligence per se, breach of implied contract and breach of fiduciary duty.

FFCU denies those claims. It agreed to settle to avoid the cost and risk of more litigation, and as part of the deal it will make certain cybersecurity improvements for five years. The settlement is a compromise, not a court finding that the credit union broke the law.

Who Qualifies for the Fairmont Federal Credit Union Settlement?

The class is everyone in the United States whose private information was potentially affected by the FFCU data incident. That includes current and former customers and anyone who engaged in financial transactions with those customers.

You do not need to prove identity theft to be in the class. If you got a breach letter from FFCU, you were probably included. You should also have received a settlement notice with a Class Member ID, which you need to file online. If you lost it, call Kroll at (833) 453-2784. If you think your information was affected but never got a notice, contact Kroll anyway and ask whether you are in the class.

How Much Can You Get From the Fairmont Federal Credit Union Settlement?

Benefit	Amount	What you need
Documented out-of-pocket losses	Up to $7,500 per person	Reasonable third-party documentation
Attested time	Up to 4 hours at $35 per hour, so up to $140	A written description of the time spent and how it relates to the breach
Alternative cash payment	Up to $150, possibly reduced pro rata	A valid claim; for people who do not claim losses or time
Credit monitoring and identity restoration	Three years	A valid claim

Where does the $7,640 figure come from?

It is the top of the two reimbursement categories added together: $7,500 for documented losses plus $140 for attested time. Someone with $600 in qualifying documented expenses and four qualifying hours could request $740, subject to review. These are caps, not promised payments.

Related article: Lane County $1.35 Million Tax Foreclosure Class Action Settlement, Who Qualifies, How Payments Work and the February 22, 2027 Deadline

Can you claim the $150 payment and documented losses together?

No. The alternative cash payment is for people who do not claim documented losses or attested time. You can add credit monitoring to either route.

Is the $150 payment guaranteed?

No. It is “up to $150.” After fees, expenses, service awards, administration and other benefits are paid, what remains is divided among people who chose the alternative payment. If enough valid claims come in, each share can shrink.

What Losses Qualify for the $7,500 Reimbursement?

Losses must be actual, unreimbursed, and fairly traceable to the data incident. They must also fall between September 30, 2023 and December 18, 2026. Examples include:

• bank fees
• long-distance and cell or data charges
• postage and gas for local travel to deal with the breach
• fees for credit reports, credit monitoring or identity theft insurance bought after September 30, 2023
• other documented, unreimbursed losses caused by the incident

What documents work: receipts, invoices, credit card or bank statements and phone bills. Self-made records, such as a handwritten receipt, do not count. An expense already reimbursed by another source cannot be claimed again.

Attested time: you do not need a receipt, but you must write down what you did and how it relates to the breach. Examples are reviewing account activity, calling banks or placing a credit freeze. The cap is $140 even if you spent more time.

What Credit Monitoring Does the Fairmont Federal Credit Union Settlement Include?

Class members who claim it get three years of one-bureau credit monitoring and identity restoration, including $1 million in identity theft insurance. The settlement says this is available even if you already took the free monitoring FFCU offered earlier, so the two can stack.

The service is not active just because you filed. The administrator sends an activation code only after the court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved.

How to File a Fairmont Federal Credit Union Settlement Claim

Both filing routes are due December 18, 2026.

1. Online. Use the official claim form and enter the Class Member ID from your notice. Online filers can choose an electronic payment or a check.
2. By mail. Download the paper claim form from the settlement website, complete it and mail it to Butler v. Fairmont Federal Credit Union, c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, P.O. Box 225391, New York, NY 10150-5391. It must be postmarked by December 18, 2026. Mailed claims are paid by check to the address on file.

If you are claiming documented losses, gather your proof first. If you are claiming time, write down what you did and when. Keep a copy of your submission and any confirmation. Filing is free, so do not pay anyone to file for you.

Your Options in the Fairmont Federal Credit Union Settlement: Claim, Opt Out, Object or Do Nothing

Option	Get benefits?	Give up the right to sue FFCU?	Deadline
Submit a claim	Yes	Yes	December 18, 2026
Opt out	No	No, you keep it	December 18, 2026
Object	Yes, if you also file a valid claim	Yes	December 18, 2026
Do nothing	No	Yes	None

How to opt out

Mail a signed, written opt-out notice to Kroll, postmarked by December 18, 2026. Include your full name, address, email address and a clear statement that you want to opt out of Butler v. Fairmont Federal Credit Union, No. 1:25-cv-00094-JPB. You can only opt out for yourself. If you opt out you get no benefits, but you are not bound by the settlement and may sue on your own, subject to the law and deadlines that apply.

How to object

If you stay in the class but dislike the benefits, the requested attorneys’ fees, the service awards or the release, you can object in writing by December 18, 2026. Your objection should identify you and the case, explain why you are a class member, state your reasons, and follow the notice’s other requirements about lawyers, supporting documents and the hearing. You can object and still claim benefits, but you cannot object if you opt out. The official FAQ lists the full requirements.

What happens if you do nothing?

You get no cash and no credit monitoring, and you give up the right to sue FFCU over the claims the settlement resolves. It is the one choice that costs you your rights and earns you nothing.

Where Does the $1,783,857.64 Fairmont Federal Credit Union Settlement Fund Go?

The fund covers more than payments to class members:

• Attorneys’ fees: up to $594,599, about one-third of the fund, plus documented costs and expenses
• Service awards: up to 5,000eachfortheclassrepresentatives(10,000 total), up to 3,500eachforthestatecourtplaintiffs(7,000 total), and up to $1,000 each for tag-along plaintiffs
• Administration costs: not yet determined
• Class member payments: whatever remains

These are amounts class counsel may request, and the court must approve them. Subtract the maximum fee request and the $17,000 in named service awards, and no more than about $1.17 million is left. Administration, expenses, tag-along awards and the credit monitoring come out of that figure too. That is why the $150 payment may be reduced.

Key Dates for the Fairmont Federal Credit Union Settlement

Date	Event
September 30 to October 18, 2023	Period of unauthorized access
September 11, 2025	FFCU begins mailing breach notices
December 18, 2026	Deadline to claim, opt out or object
February 8, 2027, 2:30 p.m. ET	Final approval hearing
After final approval and any appeals	Payments and monitoring codes distributed

When Will Fairmont Federal Credit Union Settlement Payments Be Sent?

No payment date has been announced. The judge will decide at the February 8, 2027 hearing whether the settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate, and will also rule on the fee request and service awards. Payments and monitoring codes go out only after final approval and the resolution of any appeals. An appeal would push everything back. If the court rejects the deal or the parties end it, the lawsuit continues.

How Does This Settlement Compare With Other Data Breach Settlements?

Data breach settlements often pair reimbursement with identity protection, but each has its own class definition, caps and deadline. Being eligible for one does not make you eligible for another.

If your information was also exposed through a vendor, the Fairwinds Credit Union Data Breach, Vendor Mercadien May Have Exposed Social Security Numbers and Financial Account Information covers a separate incident with its own claims process. For another settlement of a similar size, see the Kisco Senior Living $1.8 Million Data Breach Settlement, Who Qualifies and How to Claim by January 19, 2027. And the DaVita $15M Data Breach Settlement Claim Upto $2,500 By Jan 19 shows how a much larger ransomware settlement is structured.

What Should You Do to Protect Yourself Beyond the Settlement?

A settlement does not undo a breach. If your Social Security number or account details were exposed, consider placing a free credit freeze with the three credit bureaus, reviewing your account statements regularly, and using the monitoring service the settlement provides. These steps cost nothing and are worth taking whether or not you file a claim.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Fairmont Federal Credit Union Settlement

Is the Fairmont Federal Credit Union settlement real?

Yes. The case is Butler v. Fairmont Federal Credit Union, No. 1:25-cv-00094-JPB, in the Northern District of West Virginia. Kroll Settlement Administration runs the official website. The settlement is still subject to final court approval.

How much is the Fairmont Federal Credit Union settlement?

The fund is $1,783,857.64. It covers class member benefits, administration costs, attorneys’ fees and expenses, and approved service awards.

How much can I get from the Fairmont Federal Credit Union settlement?

Up to $7,500 for documented losses plus up to $140 for attested time (up to $7,640 combined), or an alternative cash payment of up to $150. Three years of credit monitoring is also available.

Do I need proof of identity theft?

No. The alternative cash payment requires no proof of loss. The $7,500 option requires third-party documentation.

What is the Fairmont Federal Credit Union settlement claim deadline?

December 18, 2026. Online claims are due that day, and mailed claims must be postmarked by it. The opt-out and objection deadlines are the same.

What if I already got free credit monitoring from FFCU?

You can still claim the settlement’s three-year monitoring, and the two can add together.

Does the settlement prove FFCU broke the law?

No. FFCU denies wrongdoing, and the settlement is not a finding of liability.

How do I contact the settlement administrator?

Call Kroll at (833) 453-2784 or write to Butler v. Fairmont Federal Credit Union, c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, P.O. Box 225391, New York, NY 10150-5391.

Sources

1. Official Fairmont Federal Credit Union Settlement Website
2. Official Settlement FAQ
3. Official Online Claim Form
4. Official Long-Form Settlement Notice
5. Official Settlement Agreement
6. Claim Depot: Fairmont Federal Credit Union $1.78M Data Breach Settlement
7. Maine Attorney General: Fairmont Federal Credit Union Breach Notice

Disclaimer: This article is general legal information, not legal advice. AllAboutLawyer.com is not a law firm, and I am not an attorney.

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against a published summary of the official Notice, claim form and settlement terms for the settlement run by the administrator, Kroll Settlement Administration LLC (ffcudatasettlement.com), as of October 24, 2026. Last Updated: October 24, 2026.