📋 How to Tell if a Class Action Lawsuit Notice Is a Scam (AARP Article)

[Winter2025VA]

FROM THE ARTICLE.

Avoid fraud — but don't throw away legitimate opportunities for compensation.

By Matt Alderton, AARP. Published October 03, 2025.

If you watch television regularly, you’ve probably seen commercials about Camp Lejeune, a U.S. military base where drinking water contaminated with toxic chemicals has been linked to chronic illnesses like cancer. In 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, which established a limited two-year window during which individuals who lived and worked at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 could file lawsuits against the U.S. government seeking compensation for health issues related to their time there. By the end of 2022, law firms had spent over $145 million advertising the opportunity, generating more than 400,000 claims from alleged victims and their loved ones.

USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE.

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/class-action-settlement-notice/

[GailL1 · Accepted solution]

Many of the class actions are for exactly that, as you said - “  LOSING my personal information to the Dark Web”

I just finished filing for two based on the AT & T data breach of 03/2024 and 07/2024 - two separate ones.  These were mentioned in the article.  AT&T had notified us of them shortly after they happened to get special monitoring.  My credit has been frozen for years and I several authentication methods on my account supposedly to be fail-safe.   I did have one incident where somebody tried to buy a Harley- Davidson motorcycle with my credit but were turned down because my credit was frozen.  So that triggered me to place a fraud alert as well on my credit.  No other incident happened.  At least they had good taste cause it was a nice bike and  at least American Made 🤓

Edited to add:  I have also let a few of these go by because I knew that my exposure was minimal and thus little money but these were not from breaches - they were from VISA/Mastercard actions since I had been one of their participating merchants way back when and might have had one or two purchases processed in the period coverage of the class action. 

[GailL1 · Accepted solution]

@Winter2025VA 

Ask AARP about it - who was the email from?  The basics that you gave in your quote from the email seem true.  Did it reference any place where a claim could be secured?  

From AI:  The AARP Settlement (September 2025) 

Markels et al. v. AARP

• What:

  AARP agreed to a $12.5 million settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit alleging it shared users' video viewing data with Meta (Facebook's parent company) via the Meta Pixel.
• Who was eligible:

  U.S. residents who accessed videos on AARP.org, had a Facebook account, and were AARP members or registered users between September 27, 2020, and September 12, 2025.
• What AARP did:

  AARP agreed to limit or cease the use of the Meta Pixel on its video content pages.

  MORE:  AARP lawsuit over sharing video data

  In September 2022, a class-action lawsuit was filed against AARP, alleging that it illegally shared its website visitors' video-viewing data and personal information with Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. 

  • The technology: The complaint alleged that AARP used a "Meta Pixel," a tracking tool that sends a user's activity back to Meta, on pages of AARP.org featuring videos.
  • The allegation: According to the suit, this practice violated the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), which prohibits video service providers from knowingly disclosing personally identifiable information without consent.
  • Case progression: A federal judge in California initially dismissed the case but later allowed an amended complaint to proceed in late 2023.
  • Resolution: On September 12, 2025, a federal judge granted preliminary approval for a $12.5 million settlement in the case. AARP also agreed to limit or stop the use of the Meta Pixel on pages with video content. 

  [ME]  Seems there have been many class actions involving META and privacy issues in the last several years.  AARP was involved along with many others about this issue but that was awhile ago - there was a settlement from META for $725 million - AARP posted about this one on their website.

  AARP.org - 04/21/2023- 09/11/2025 updated - Facebook User Privacy Settlement Payments Have Begun, bu... 

  Then there were also some where AARP The Foundation had suits against META for some sort of discrimination- age . gender.

  AARP Foundation - Press Release 12/19/2023 - AARP Foundation Joins Class Action Charge Claiming Meta... 

  We seem to be a suing society especially of the class action type.  Maybe that is why AARP The Foundation thinks that it will be an issue brought to the SCOTUS in the near future where people involved in them have to show some actual harm in the participation of the suit.  Actually, I agree with this but I am not sure if they think it is best for all class action claims.  Most people would have real difficulty proving direct harm.

   AARP Foundation - Class Actions 

  Now for this new settlement by AARP for $12.5 million.  described above.  It seems this is the one to which the email you received is referring to - I am not involved since I do not review any AARP videos.  And I doubt very seriously if this one is gonna be mentioned on the AARP.org website but I guess we can keep watching for full disclosure on this case.  It does seem to be real but I could not find any specifics about it - who filed it, claim form, etc.  

  Edited to add:  I think this is it.  

  Markels et al. v. AARP

  ClassAction.org - 09/27/2022-AARP Disclosed Website Visitors’ Personal Info to Meta Without Consent,... 

[Winter2025VA]

[10/5/25] At age 67, knowing what I know NOW - I was very "lucky" the times I did participate, it was for real (NOT a scam).

These days, I "ignore" them as LOSING my personal information to the Dark Web is a concern for me.

Yes, I may miss out on some dollars but rather "skip" these days.

Take care,

Nicole. (Friends & Family Forum)

[GailL1 · Accepted solution]

Many of the class actions are for exactly that, as you said - “  LOSING my personal information to the Dark Web”

I just finished filing for two based on the AT & T data breach of 03/2024 and 07/2024 - two separate ones.  These were mentioned in the article.  AT&T had notified us of them shortly after they happened to get special monitoring.  My credit has been frozen for years and I several authentication methods on my account supposedly to be fail-safe.   I did have one incident where somebody tried to buy a Harley- Davidson motorcycle with my credit but were turned down because my credit was frozen.  So that triggered me to place a fraud alert as well on my credit.  No other incident happened.  At least they had good taste cause it was a nice bike and  at least American Made 🤓

Edited to add:  I have also let a few of these go by because I knew that my exposure was minimal and thus little money but these were not from breaches - they were from VISA/Mastercard actions since I had been one of their participating merchants way back when and might have had one or two purchases processed in the period coverage of the class action. 

[Winter2025VA]

[10/5/25] Thanks for stopping by Gail @GailL1 !!! Usually the breach for me had NO class actions. Just an offer of FREE Credit Monitoring for a year. The last class action was for Kroger here in Virginia. I went ahead and filed as I knew about it. Take care, Nicole!

➡️[*** GAIL 

---

@GailL1 wrote:

Many of the class actions are for exactly that, as you said - “  LOSING my personal information to the Dark Web”

I just finished filing for two based on the AT & T data breach of 03/2024 and 07/2024 - two separate ones.  These were mentioned in the article.  AT&T had notified us of them shortly after they happened to get special monitoring.  My credit has been frozen for years and I several authentication methods on my account supposedly to be fail-safe.   I did have one incident where somebody tried to buy a Harley- Davidson motorcycle with my credit but were turned down because my credit was frozen.  So that triggered me to place a fraud alert as well on my credit.  No other incident happened.  At least they had good taste cause it was a nice bike and  at least American Made 🤓

Edited to add:  I have also let a few of these go by because I knew that my exposure was minimal and thus little money but these were not from breaches - they were from VISA/Mastercard actions since I had been one of their participating merchants way back when and might have had one or two purchases processed in the period coverage of the class action. 

---

[Winter2025VA]

[10/7/25]

Gail @GailL1 , got SPAM about a Class Action against AARP. It arrived in my SPAM FOLDER. I check it before emptying each day. Sometimes the emails I want end up in it.

Anyway, the SPAM arrived about 1am ET today.

➡️[*** If you were an AARP member or a registered user of AARP.org and accessed videos on AARP.org in the U.S. while you also had a Facebook account between September 27, 2020 and September 12, 2025, you may be eligible for payment from a class action settlement.

*** Of course I will be ignoring. Anyone else get this?

Take care,

Nicole. (Friends & Family Forum)

[GailL1 · Accepted solution]

@Winter2025VA 

Ask AARP about it - who was the email from?  The basics that you gave in your quote from the email seem true.  Did it reference any place where a claim could be secured?  

From AI:  The AARP Settlement (September 2025) 

Markels et al. v. AARP

• What:

  AARP agreed to a $12.5 million settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit alleging it shared users' video viewing data with Meta (Facebook's parent company) via the Meta Pixel.
• Who was eligible:

  U.S. residents who accessed videos on AARP.org, had a Facebook account, and were AARP members or registered users between September 27, 2020, and September 12, 2025.
• What AARP did:

  AARP agreed to limit or cease the use of the Meta Pixel on its video content pages.

  MORE:  AARP lawsuit over sharing video data

  In September 2022, a class-action lawsuit was filed against AARP, alleging that it illegally shared its website visitors' video-viewing data and personal information with Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. 

  • The technology: The complaint alleged that AARP used a "Meta Pixel," a tracking tool that sends a user's activity back to Meta, on pages of AARP.org featuring videos.
  • The allegation: According to the suit, this practice violated the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), which prohibits video service providers from knowingly disclosing personally identifiable information without consent.
  • Case progression: A federal judge in California initially dismissed the case but later allowed an amended complaint to proceed in late 2023.
  • Resolution: On September 12, 2025, a federal judge granted preliminary approval for a $12.5 million settlement in the case. AARP also agreed to limit or stop the use of the Meta Pixel on pages with video content. 

  [ME]  Seems there have been many class actions involving META and privacy issues in the last several years.  AARP was involved along with many others about this issue but that was awhile ago - there was a settlement from META for $725 million - AARP posted about this one on their website.

  AARP.org - 04/21/2023- 09/11/2025 updated - Facebook User Privacy Settlement Payments Have Begun, bu... 

  Then there were also some where AARP The Foundation had suits against META for some sort of discrimination- age . gender.

  AARP Foundation - Press Release 12/19/2023 - AARP Foundation Joins Class Action Charge Claiming Meta... 

  We seem to be a suing society especially of the class action type.  Maybe that is why AARP The Foundation thinks that it will be an issue brought to the SCOTUS in the near future where people involved in them have to show some actual harm in the participation of the suit.  Actually, I agree with this but I am not sure if they think it is best for all class action claims.  Most people would have real difficulty proving direct harm.

   AARP Foundation - Class Actions 

  Now for this new settlement by AARP for $12.5 million.  described above.  It seems this is the one to which the email you received is referring to - I am not involved since I do not review any AARP videos.  And I doubt very seriously if this one is gonna be mentioned on the AARP.org website but I guess we can keep watching for full disclosure on this case.  It does seem to be real but I could not find any specifics about it - who filed it, claim form, etc.  

  Edited to add:  I think this is it.  

  Markels et al. v. AARP

  ClassAction.org - 09/27/2022-AARP Disclosed Website Visitors’ Personal Info to Meta Without Consent,... 

[GailL1 · Accepted solution]

Yep, this is it - 

Markels et al. v. AARP

Who is eligible for a payment?

The settlement will cover a nationwide class of residents who meet the following criteria: 

• Viewed video content on AARP.org
• Were Facebook or Instagram users at the time
• Were logged into a Meta account at the time they viewed the video on AARP's website 

For more information and to check eligibility, potential class members can visit the official settlement website when it becomes available. 

Did you get a settlement website link in the email you received?

[Winter2025VA]

[10/7/25] Hi Gail @GailL1 , I didnot keep it or read it in detail. It came to the email address I use for my Rewards Account. AARP does NOT have my main email address. The one I use for AARP is "disposable". Anyway, it did say AARP gave them our email address. Only affects folks who have Facebook, which I DONOT. Take care, Nicole!

[Winter2025VA]

[10/7/25] Gail @GailL1 , sorry - I have NO idea IF there was a link in the email. I deleted it. Take care, Nicole!