First Baptist Church of Hammond Data Breach Settlement, Check If You Qualify — Kramer v. First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana, Inc., No. 45D01-2509-CE-62

There’s up to $5,030 waiting for you if your personal information was caught up in the July 2025 cyberattack on First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana. FBC has agreed to settle the data breach lawsuit against it, with cash for documented losses, lost time, or a flat $50 with no proof required. You have until September 30, 2026 to file.

First Baptist Church of Hammond Data Breach Settlement — Key Facts

Detail	Information
Settlement Amount	Up to $5,030 per person combined (documented tiers); $50 flat if no proof — no single total fund amount is stated in the notice materials
Claim Deadline	September 30, 2026
Who Qualifies	Anyone whose personal information was accessed or acquired by an unauthorized party in the July 2025 Data Security Incident
Estimated Payout	Up to $450 (ordinary expenses) + up to $4,500 (extraordinary fraud losses) + up to $80 (lost time) = up to $5,030, or a flat $50 no-proof option
Proof Required (Yes/No)	Yes for documented-loss and lost-time claims; No for the $50 alternative payment
Settlement Status	Preliminarily approved; claims open; awaiting final court approval
Court & Case Number	Indiana Commercial Court, Lake County Superior Court — Case No. 45D01-2509-CE-62
Law Alleged	UNVERIFIED — the specific statutory or common-law claims are not detailed in the publicly posted Notice or FAQ; the complaint itself isn’t accessible through Indiana’s state court system the way a federal PACER filing would be
Administrator	Simpluris
Official Claim Site	fbcdatasettlement.com
Last Updated	July 30, 2026

Who Is First Baptist Church of Hammond and Why Is It Being Sued for a Data Breach?

First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana, runs computer systems holding names, Social Security numbers, and other personal records for members, employees, and self-funded health plan participants. In July 2025, the ransomware group Rhysida broke into those systems and demanded a $600,000 ransom, according to the church’s own class counsel at CohenMalad, LLP. A church isn’t a typical corporate defendant, but it stores the same kind of sensitive data as any employer or insurer — which is exactly why it ended up facing the same kind of lawsuit bigger organizations do.

What Did First Baptist Church of Hammond Do Between July 2025 and Now?

The breach happened in July 2025, when Rhysida allegedly locked files on FBC’s network and accessed personal data before the church could stop it. Plaintiff Hannah Kramer sued, arguing FBC didn’t do enough to protect the information it held — the same failure-to-safeguard theory that’s become standard since ransomware attacks got this common. FBC denies doing anything wrong, and the court hasn’t ruled on that question either way.

Both sides agreed to settle instead. That’s typical: trials are expensive and slow, and a negotiated settlement gets money to affected people faster. For comparison, DataMaxx Applied Technologies settled a similarly sized breach for $465,000 using nearly the same tiered structure — documented losses up to $2,500, plus a no-proof $50 option. FBC’s settlement follows almost the same playbook, just at a higher per-person ceiling.

FBC isn’t admitting fault. Almost nobody does when they settle. That doesn’t mean the breach wasn’t real, or that your data wasn’t part of it.

Related article: Public Partnerships CDPAP Wage And Hour Settlement, Check If You Qualify — Calderon et al. v. Public Partnerships LLC, No. 25-cv-2320

Who Qualifies for the First Baptist Church of Hammond Data Breach Settlement?

Here’s exactly how to know if this case includes you.

• Anyone who received a notice letter or email from FBC about the July 2025 Data Security Incident
• Current or former FBC members, employees, or health plan participants whose information was on the affected systems
• Individuals whose Social Security number was among the files an unauthorized party accessed
• People who haven’t received notice yet but believe their data was involved can contact the Settlement Administrator to confirm

You don’t qualify if you’re FBC or one of its officers, directors, or related entities; a government agency; the presiding judge or their family and staff; or if you’ve already filed a valid opt-out request.

First Baptist Church of Hammond Data Breach Settlement Outside Indiana — Are You Still Covered?

Yes. This is a nationwide settlement class, not one limited to Indiana residents. Anyone whose data was compromised in the breach qualifies regardless of where they live now.

If a notice letter with a LoginID and PIN landed in your inbox or mailbox recently, that’s FBC telling you you’re already in. You don’t have to prove anything to get the flat $50 — just file.

Not sure if you qualify for the First Baptist Church of Hammond data breach settlement? A free consultation with a data privacy attorney can help before the September 16, 2026 opt-out deadline.

How Much Can First Baptist Church of Hammond Data Breach Settlement Class Members Get? Up to $5,030 Per Person

FBC’s settlement pays out through four options, and you pick one path — you can’t combine the documented-loss tiers with the flat cash payment.

• Up to $450 for ordinary documented expenses — credit monitoring fees, credit freezes, ID replacement, related postage — for losses between July 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026
• Up to $4,500 for extraordinary losses tied to actual identity theft or fraud, if you can show it was probably caused by this breach and that you tried to prevent or recover the loss first
• Up to $80 for lost time, capped at four hours at $20 an hour, for tasks like freezing accounts or researching the breach
• A flat $50 cash payment instead of any of the above, no proof required at all

Combined, the first three tiers cap out at $5,030 per person. Based on what the Notice and FAQ disclose, each tier has its own ceiling rather than splitting one shared pool — so more filers claiming documented losses shouldn’t shrink your check. Payments over $600 may appear on a 1099. Check with a tax professional before you spend it.

That’s the real choice here: five minutes of paperwork for $50, or a folder of receipts for up to $5,030. Which one makes sense depends entirely on what you actually spent.

How to File Your First Baptist Church of Hammond Data Breach Settlement Claim — Step by Step

1. Find the notice you received by mail or email — it has your LoginID and PIN
2. Go to fbcdatasettlement.com/form/claim and log in with that ID and PIN
3. Choose your benefit: the $50 flat payment, or a documented-loss claim with receipts attached
4. Upload proof for documented claims — receipts, statements, or your own written notes as backup, since notes alone don’t count
5. Submit and save your confirmation
6. Watch your email — Simpluris, the Settlement Administrator, will follow up if anything’s missing

Takes about 10 minutes for the no-proof option, longer if you’re gathering receipts. You have until September 30, 2026 to file, online or by mail.

For a sense of how a similar institutional breach played out, see how the EMS LINQ school data breach settlement handled its own tiered claims process.

Should First Baptist Church of Hammond Class Members Opt Out or Object Before September 16, 2026?

What Opting Out of the First Baptist Church of Hammond Settlement Actually Means

Opting out means no payment from this settlement, but you keep the right to sue FBC on your own over the same breach. Most people shouldn’t opt out without talking to a lawyer first — giving up a guaranteed $50-to-$5,030 payment for an uncertain lawsuit is a real trade-off. The opt-out deadline is September 16, 2026.

How to Object to the First Baptist Church of Hammond Settlement

Objecting means you stay in the class but tell the court in writing why you think the settlement falls short. Your objection needs the case name and number, your contact information, your reasons, and your signature — filed with the Clerk of Court at 232 Russell Street, Hammond, IN 46320, and mailed to the Settlement Administrator. The deadline is also September 16, 2026.

Talk to a class action lawsuit attorney before September 16, 2026 if you’re considering either option.

First Baptist Church of Hammond Data Breach Settlement — Key Dates, 2026

Milestone	Date
Notification Mailing	July 17, 2026
Claim Filing Deadline	September 30, 2026
Opt-Out Deadline	September 16, 2026
Objection Deadline	September 16, 2026
Final Approval Hearing	November 30, 2026 — the settlement site’s FAQ page separately lists August 5, 2026, but the dedicated “Important Dates” page and homepage both currently show November 30, 2026
Expected Payment Date	Not stated; payments follow final approval and resolution of any appeals

First Baptist Church of Hammond Data Breach — Frequently Asked Questions, No. 45D01-2509-CE-62

Do I need a lawyer to file a First Baptist Church of Hammond data breach settlement claim?

 No. Filing is free, and the Settlement Administrator, Simpluris, will walk you through it at (833) 421-7348.

Is the First Baptist Church of Hammond settlement legitimate? 

Yes. It’s a real settlement in Kramer v. First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana, Inc., Case No. 45D01-2509-CE-62, pending in the Indiana Commercial Court, Lake County Superior Court.

When will First Baptist Church of Hammond settlement payments be sent?

 Not until after final court approval and any appeals resolve. No payment date has been announced yet.

What if I missed the First Baptist Church of Hammond claim deadline?

 Contact the Settlement Administrator directly at [email protected]. Late claims aren’t guaranteed, but exceptions sometimes happen before funds are distributed.

Will my First Baptist Church of Hammond settlement payment go on a 1099?

 Possibly. Payments over $600 may be reported. Check with a tax professional about your specific payout.

What data was exposed in the First Baptist Church of Hammond breach?

 The settlement class covers names and Social Security numbers accessed in the July 2025 incident. Earlier breach notices also referenced dates of birth, driver’s license and passport numbers, and health plan data for some individuals.

Who is representing the class in the First Baptist Church of Hammond lawsuit?

 Lynn A. Toops and Amina A. Thomas of CohenMalad, LLP represent the class. They’ll ask the court for $250,000 in fees and a $2,500 service award for class representative Hannah Kramer.

Can I claim the $50 payment without proof?

 Yes. The alternative cash payment needs no receipts or explanation, but you can only choose it instead of the documented-loss options, not alongside them.

Sources Used in This First Baptist Church of Hammond Data Breach Article

• Official Settlement Notice, Kramer v. First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana, Inc., No. 45D01-2509-CE-62: https://cw.simpluris.com/docs/public/downloads/FKC/NOTICE_OF_CLASS_ACTION_SETTLEMENT
• Official Settlement FAQ, fbcdatasettlement.com: https://fbcdatasettlement.com/faq/
• Official Settlement Important Dates page: https://fbcdatasettlement.com/dates/
• Official Claim Form portal: https://fbcdatasettlement.com/form/claim
• CohenMalad, LLP (Class Counsel), “First Baptist Church of Hammond Data Breach”: https://cohenandmalad.com/alerts/first-baptist-church-of-hammond-data-breach

Researched and written by Israr, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the official Settlement Notice, FAQ, and claim portal on July 30, 2026. Last Updated: July 30, 2026.

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.