Zoom Video Communications Settlement: Scam Only In Part
Did you get an email informing you that you’re entitled to a Zoom Video Communications Settlement payment? You may receive it these days saying that $32.32 are coming your way. However, many of you have asked us if this is a new Zoom Settlement Scam, as many could twist the class action information in various ways. So, as much as this sounds confusing, it is a scam but only in part. What does that mean? The Settlement is real, but the fraud occurs only in a certain way. Let’s dive into it.
The email that you might receive looks like this:
Subject line: Zoom Video Communications Settlement – Notice of Upcoming Settlement Payment
“Dear [your name],
According to our records, you are eligible to receive a payment of $32.32 in the Settlement for the matter entitled In Re: Zoom Video Communications, Inc. Privacy Litigation, Case No. 3:20-cv-02155-LB.
As Administrator for the matter, we’re sending you this courtesy email to inform you that on May 31, 2023, you will receive a payment notification email that contains a link to claim your payment electronically. Once you receive that email, you will have until September 28, 2023, to claim your payment.
Please monitor your email inbox carefully for our next email. Additional details about this matter are available at www.ZoomMeetingsClassAction.com or by contacting us via one of the following methods:
Toll-free: 1-800-397-3418
Email: www.ZoomMeetingsClassAction.com/Home/Questions
Mail: In Re Zoom Video Communication, Inc. Privacy Litigation,
Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 5534, Portland, OR 97228-5534″.
What Happens If You Click The Link In The Email
If you decide to claim your payment, you have a few options. If you select to receive the compensation via PayPal or Venmo, a window will open after clicking the link. That’s where you enter your Venmo-associated phone number. After submitting, a new screen will appear, stating the following information:
“Venmo transfer $32.32. We are processing your request.
Your money will arrive at the end of the day Friday, June 2nd [or three days after you claim it] to the Venmo account of [phone number].
You claimed your Venmo payment on [date you claimed it].”
Is the Zoom Settlement A Scam?
What you have read above is real; people can claim digital payments through September 28, 2023. However, the scammers sent the same type of email and content to millions of people simultaneously but replaced the real links with compromised ones.
As a result, when victims click on the “Claim payment” button, they visit fraudulent sites instead of the real ones. Therefore, it is super critical to determine whether the link you open to claim your payment is genuine. The good news is that we have some answers below.
How To Know If The Payment Link Is Fake Or Not
There are a few efficient ways to detect a fake link. One of them is if you install a powerful browser extension called Guardio. It automatically blocks 100x more harmful websites than competitors and 10x more malicious downloads than any other security tool. Therefore, when you click and open the fake Zoom Video Settlement link or any other scam website, Guardio will block it instantly, so you don’t have to worry. Crazy effective. We tested it, and it is worth every penny – you can get Guardio HERE (Scam Detector readers get 20% off).
The second great option is to get your device protected by one of the top 3 online security companies. We found that Kaspersky Premium is the best when it comes to that, especially since they have 24/7 remote I.T. support. Award-winning platform. You can get it HERE.
However, the most important thing about the Zoom Settlement Scam is to look at who qualified for the payments:
- Individuals who used the Zoom Meetings application between March 30, 2016, and July 30, 2021.
- Individuals who filed a claim by March 5, 2022.
- Users who used Zoom through a non-Zoom for Government Account.
- Individuals who resided in the United States or its territories at the time they used the Zoom Meetings application. That means the Settlement is United States-based. Suppose an individual did not reside in the U.S. or its territories when they used the Zoom Meetings application. In that case, they are not eligible to participate in the Settlement.
So, obviously, if you didn’t file a claim by last March or lived outside of the United States, the link you received is most likely fake.
What Is The Zoom Video Communication Settlement
For those who don’t know, the Zoom Video Communication settlement was a class-action lawsuit over users’ privacy rights by sharing personal data with Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn and letting hackers disrupt Zoom meetings in a practice called Zoombombing.
As a result, Zoom agreed to pay $85 million in cash compensation. Also, it was mandatory to implement comprehensive reforms to its service. That includes giving meeting hosts more access and better control over who can join their meetings and developing a more efficient tracking system of users and reports of meeting disruptions, among other reforms.
As part of the Settlement, the Zoom bosses also agreed to make immediately important changes to its practices and policies that benefit Settlement Class Members, pursuant to the Section 3 of the Settlement Agreement.
In the lawsuit, as mentioned, Zoom violated users’ privacy by sharing personal data with Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn. It also deceived users by claiming to have end-to-end 256-bit encryption, which the FTC alleged in its complaint. Zoom also secretly installed software called ZoomOpener. That allowed computers to launch the app without permission from the user, increasing users’ risk of remote video surveillance by strangers. Additionally, Zoom stored unencrypted recorded meetings on its servers for up to 60 days.
How To Verify If a Website Is Fake
If you feel a website might be suspicious, feel free to verify it using our unique Scam Detector website validator below:
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Are you just about to make a purchase online? See if the website is legit with our validator:
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How To Report the Zoom Settlement Scam
Let your close family and online friends know about the Zoom Settlement Scam. please share this page if it was helpful. Meanwhile, you can report scammers and any other suspicious Zoom activity to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) using the portal below:
How To Protect Yourself More
If you want to be amongst the first to receive notifications about the most notorious scams every week, subscribe to our Scam Detector newsletter. You will receive periodic emails from us with insightful tips. That will include how to prevent fraud and information about the newest tools you can use to fight crime.
Meanwhile, feel free to educate yourself with some other fraud-related articles. They are listed under this paragraph, so that you know more about online security. Last but not least, if you have any bad experiences, make sure to use the comments section below to expose other scammers.
Verify a website below
Are you just about to make a purchase online? See if the website is legit with our validator:
vldtr®
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I just got a fake email survey from CVS. It was SO EASY to recognize it was fake.