Horizon Actuarial Data Settlement Letter: Scam or Legit?

Have you received a letter or an email claiming to be from Horizon Actuarial Services regarding a data breach settlement? With scams becoming increasingly common, it’s normal to be skeptical. This article will give you a detailed overview of the Horizon Actuarial data breach settlement and help you determine if a letter you received is legitimate or a scam attempt.

Overview of the Horizon Actuarial Data Breach Settlement

In November 2021, consulting firm Horizon Actuarial Services LLC suffered a data breach impacting around 100,000 individuals. Personal information such as names, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth were exposed.

A class action lawsuit was filed against Horizon Actuarial for failing to properly secure individuals’ data. In December 2023, Horizon agreed to settle the lawsuit for $8.73 million.

The settlement establishes a fund to reimburse affected individuals for out-of-pocket losses related to the breach and provide cash compensation. For example, class members can receive up to $5,000 for documented expenses like credit monitoring services.

To receive payment, individuals must submit a claim by the February 21, 2024 deadline. The court still needs to give final approval to the settlement after a hearing in March 2024.

What is the Horizon Data Settlement Letter/E-mail Scam?

To notify individuals about the settlement, legitimate letters were mailed out to class members starting in December 2023. However, scammers have been sending out fake letters imitating the real ones.

The fake letters often include a claim form and request personal details to “confirm eligibility” for payment. They may claim urgent action is required or threaten forfeiting funds if information is not provided. The scammers then use the details for identity theft.

How to Identify and Avoid the Fake Scam Letters

Here are some tips to avoid being scammed:

• Check for errors – Scam letters often contain typos, grammatical mistakes, and other errors. Legitimate notices are professionally printed.
• Research the source – Call the settlement administrator at 877-395-9210 to confirm. Scammers will provide fake contact details.
• Don’t give personal information – Real administrators will not ask for your Social Security number or account details upfront. Only provide sensitive info on the official claims site.
• Verify the URL – Fake sites often have misspellings or extra characters. Only use horizondatasettlement.com.
• Look for urgent demands – Scammers try to rush you into providing personal data with threats of losing out on payment. Real administrators won’t do this.
• Check for unusual payment methods – Scammers may ask you to pay a “processing fee” before receiving funds or use wire transfers. The real settlement won’t do this.

Important Red Flags to Identify Scam Letters

Watch out for these common red flags:

• Requests personal info like SSN and bank details upfront
• Threatens you’ll forfeit payment if immediate action not taken
• Contains numerous typos, formatting issues, and grammatical errors
• Asks you to pay a fee to claim your settlement funds
• Requests payment via unusual methods like wire transfer or gift cards
• Uses an urgent tone demanding quick response
• Provides fake contact info for the claims administrator
• Shows a claims submission deadline much earlier than February 21, 2024

Is the Horizon Actuarial Data Settlement Letter Legit or Another Scam?

If you are unsure about the legitimacy of a letter, contact the settlement administrator to verify. You can call +1 877-395-9210 or visit their website HorizonDataSettlement.com.

Ask if they mailed you a letter and if the details match up. For example, verify your name, address, and Unique ID if you have one. Explain any parts of the letter that raised suspicion.

You can also check for a case number and judge’s name. For the real Horizon settlement, it is Case No. 1:22-CV-01495-ELR filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

Searching online for more details on the case can also help validate if a letter is real or fake. If any red flags identified above are present, it is likely a scam attempt.

What to Do If You Fell Victim to the Scam

If you unfortunately provided personal information or money to scammers:

• Contact banks and freeze accounts if needed to prevent fraudulent activity.
• Place a fraud alert and get your free credit reports to check for suspicious activity.
• Change online account passwords, especially for financial and email accounts. Enable two-factor authentication.
• File an identity theft report with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov. Provide the report to banks/creditors.
• Contact the major credit bureaus to inform them of potential fraud.
• If scammed out of money, file a report with local law enforcement and the FTC.
• Notify the real settlement administrator about the fraudulent activity.

Horizon Settlement: How to submit a claim, Eligibility and Compensation Details

The settlement website has instructions and forms to file a claim either electronically or by mail before the February 21, 2024 deadline. Eligibility is generally tied to being impacted by the 2021 Horizon data breach. Compensation includes reimbursement for losses, payment for time spent, and additional cash payments.

How to submit a claim

To receive benefits from the Horizon data breach settlement, eligible individuals must submit a valid claim form either online or by mail by February 21, 2024. The settlement website at horizondatasettlement.com provides full instructions and a link to file a claim online. When filing online, have all required supporting documentation ready to upload.

• Eligible individuals can submit a claim form online at horizondatasettlement.com or by mailing a paper form.
• Claims must be submitted by February 21, 2024 to be valid.
• Online claims require uploading supporting documentation. Mailed claims must include paper documentation.

Alternatively, you can download a paper claim form from the website and mail it to the Horizon Settlement Administrator address provided. For both online and paper claims, you must provide your name, contact details, and specify which settlement benefits you are claiming – including out-of-pocket reimbursement, lost time, and/or the cash payments. Documentation like receipts or account statements must be submitted to support any out-of-pocket reimbursement claims.

Eligibility

Those impacted by the Horizon data breach in November 2021 are eligible. This generally includes people who received notification letters.

Compensation Details

The $8.73 million settlement fund provides:

• Reimbursement up to $5,000 for documented out-of-pocket losses
• $125 for up to 5 hours of lost time at $25 per hour
• Additional cash payments around $50, especially for California residents

Compensation amounts may be reduced on a pro rata basis depending on the number of approved claims.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line

• The Horizon Actuarial data breach settlement is legitimate, but scam letters imitating real notices have circulated.
• Check for red flags like typos, urgent threats, and fake contact details before providing any personal information.
• Contact the settlement administrator if you have any doubts about the validity of a letter.
• If you gave your information to scammers, take action to prevent identity theft. Notify authorities and the real administrator.
• Submit claims only through horizondatasettlement.com before the February 21, 2024 deadline to receive settlement benefits.

Being cautious and verifying legitimacy before acting can protect you from these settlement scams. Report scam attempts to help prevent others from falling victim.