Breach Victims Awarded $18

Victims of a large data breach that took place in 2008 will finally receive checks from the company that caused it.

An administrator at the Federal Trade Commission has begun mailing checks to the 14,023 consumers who were victims of ChoicePoint's 2008 data breach, an FTC release said. The event came just a few years after the company settled charges related to another failure to secure sensitive information, which occurred in 2005. As part of that settlement, it agreed to build and maintain a comprehensive security program and obtain independent assessments of its procedures every other year until 2026.

As a result of the 2008 data breach settlement, each consumer will soon receive a check for $18.17 to compensate for the time and financial investment they made to correct the problems that may have resulted from the incident. The total award amounted to nearly $255,000.

After a data breach, companies will often offer victims free credit monitoring. Financial professionals recommend that individuals accept the service, as it will help consumers protect their identity.