The AT&T data breach is actually two disasters in one. First, hackers stole the Social Security Numbers of 73 million customers.
Then, they stole the call logs of nearly every wireless user. The good news? A class-action settlement is currently open. The bad news? You must file your claim before the AT&T data breach deadline in December 2025.
The Bad News: The deadline to file for the class-action settlement passed on December 18, 2025. If you didn’t file, you cannot get the money.
The Worse News: While the settlement window is closed, the hackers are still open for business. Your call logs and SSN are now permanent fixtures on the Dark Web.
The Bottom Line
This guide explains the “Double Breach,” why the metadata (who you called) is dangerous, and the 3 steps you must take to stop criminals from hijacking your phone number today.
🧠 At-A-Glance: Breach Intelligence
| Detail | Information |
| Breach Date | April 2024 (SSNs) & July 2024 (Call Logs) |
| People Affected | 86 Million+ (Almost all wireless customers) |
| Data Exposed | Call Logs, SSNs, Phone Numbers, Tower Location Data |
| Risk Level | CRITICAL (Stalking & Identity Theft) |
| Settlement Status | CLOSED (Deadline passed Dec 18, 2025) |
What Happened? (The “Snowflake” Hack)
Most people heard about the “SSN Leak” earlier in the year. But the second hack was more sophisticated.
Hackers gained access to an AT&T workspace on a cloud platform called Snowflake. They didn’t just steal account numbers; they downloaded records of every call and text made by AT&T customers over a six-month period.
What they know:
- They don’t have the audio of your calls.
- They do know Who you called, When you called, and Where you stood (Cell Tower ID) when you called.
The “Repackaged” Danger:
Security researchers warn that criminals can combine the SSNs from the first breach with the Call Logs from the second breach. This allows them to build a perfect profile of your life: they know who you are and who you talk to.
Why “Metadata” Is Dangerous
You might think, “I don’t care if they know who I called.”
Think again. Metadata tells the story of your life.
If a hacker sees you called a Cardiologist, a Divorce Lawyer, and a Bank in the same week, they know exactly how to blackmail or scam you.
- The Stalking Risk: Because the data includes “Cell Tower IDs,” someone with the right tools can roughly map where you slept at night and where you worked during the day in 2022.
Your Action Plan (Do This Now)
Since you missed the settlement check, your only priority now is Defense.
🔐 Step 1: Add a “Port-Out PIN” (Mandatory)
With your SSN and Phone Number exposed, hackers will try to SIM Swap you (transferring your number to their phone).
- Action: Call
611from your AT&T phone right now. - Say: “I want to add a high-security PIN to prevent number porting.”
- Note: This is different from your login password. It is a specific code required to move your number.
✅ Step 2: Check Your “Authorized Users”
Hackers often add themselves as an “Authorized User” on your AT&T account so they can buy iPhones on your bill.
- Action: Log in to
att.comand check the “People & Permissions” tab. Remove anyone you don’t know immediately.
🛡️ Step 3: The “2FA Migration”
If a hacker steals your phone number, they can intercept your “SMS Verification Codes” for your bank.
- The Fix: You must stop using SMS for 2-Factor Authentication.
- Action: Switch to an Authenticator App (like Google Auth or Ente).
- 👉 Link: See Phase 2 of the PixelDefence Protocol for the setup guide
Frequently Asked Questions
I missed the December 18 deadline. Can I still file?
No. The court closed the claim window. The Final Approval Hearing is scheduled for January 15, 2026, after which checks will be mailed to those who filed on time.
Does this affect Cricket Wireless?
Yes. Since AT&T owns Cricket, their customers were also caught in the “Snowflake” data breach.
Should I change my phone number?
Usually, no. Changing your number is a nightmare. Adding a Port-Out PIN (Step 1) is usually enough to secure your current number.
🛡️ Was your data exposed?
Don’t wait for the hackers to act. We have built a step-by-step protocol to lock down your finances and logins.
👉 [Start the PixelDefence Protocol Now]
📂 Related Breach Intelligence
Don’t stop here. If your data was in this breach, it is likely in these as well. Check your exposure status in our other Deep Dives:
- [The 50 Biggest Data Leaks in History]: See the full ranking of the most dangerous hacks by “Danger Score.”
- [National Public Data Breach (2.9 Billion Records)]: The massive 2024 leak that exposed the Social Security Numbers of nearly every US adult.
- [Equifax Data Breach Guide]: Why the 2017 “Forever Leak” is the reason you must freeze your credit today.
- [AT&T Call Log Disaster]: How hackers stole the phone records of 86 million customers (and what to do now that the settlement is closed).
- [Facebook Data Breach Guide]: How the “Scraping” leak exposed 533 million phone numbers to spammers.
- [Google+ Data Breach Cover-Up]: The twin API failures that forced Google to shut down its social network.