# Is this offer from Zoom for real or a scam? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 19, 2022, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-offer-from-zoom-for-real-or-a-scam/959785 "2022-02-19T15:32:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2022, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-offer-from-zoom-for-real-or-a-scam/959785/1 "2022-02-19T15:32:24Z")
I got an E-mail titled “Reminder re Zoom Class Action Settlement” with the following content, and I’d like to know if it’s for real: Claim Deadline Approaching for Zoom Class Action Settlement **Your Unique Claim Number: XXXXXXXXXXX** [I’ve crossed out the claim number.} **Claim Deadline: March 5, 2022** This is a reminder of the Notice you received on **December 5, 2021** , regarding the Zoom Class Action Settlement. You are eligible for a cash payment from the Settlement if you submit your claim by **March 5, 2022**. Zoom’s records indicate that you have a registered Zoom account and are eligible to file a claim for $15. While the actual payment amount will depend on the total number of valid claims that are filed, at the current rate of claims, _ **users who submit claims are estimated to receive substantially more than $15** _ . To submit your claim online, click [here](https://a44614.actonservice.com/acton/ct/44614/s-0072-2202/Bct/l-0147/l-0147:ed446/ct1_0/1/lu?sid=TV2%3AzJ7ipNHOw). The claims process takes just minutes and requires no documentation or personal information. Where can I get more information? Information about your rights and options, including the Notice and the Settlement Agreement, are available at [www.ZoomMeetingsClassAction.com](http://www.ZoomMeetingsClassAction.com), by emailing [Info@ZoomMeetingsClassAction.com](mailto:Info@ZoomMeetingsClassAction.com), or by calling toll-free 1-800-397-3418. SOURCE: _In re: Zoom Video Communications, Inc. Privacy Litigation_ , Case No. 3:20-cv-02155-LB ([www.ZoomMeetingsClassAction.com](https://a44614.actonservice.com/acton/ct/44614/s-0072-2202/Bct/l-0147/l-0147:ed446/ct2_0/1/lu?sid=TV2%3AzJ7ipNHOw)) AF566\_v02 If you would prefer not to receive further messages from this sender, please [Click Here](https://forpci98.actonsoftware.com/acton/rif/44614/s-0072-2202/-/l-0147:ed446/l-0147/zout?sid=TV2%3AzJ7ipNHOw) and confirm your request. You can also send your request to _In Re: Zoom Video Communications, Inc. Privacy Litigation_ c/o Settlement Administrator P.O. Box 5534, Portland, Oregon 97228-5534, United States ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2022, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-offer-from-zoom-for-real-or-a-scam/959785/2 "2022-02-19T15:44:13Z")
The settlement is real. [Cite.](https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/2/22814758/zoom-class-action-lawsuit-zoombombing-encryption-settled) The link to submit your claim isn’t to the main class action site, and my privacy filter blocked it when I tried to open it in a private window. [Here’s a direct link](https://www.zoommeetingsclassaction.com/Home/SubmitClaim) to the claim section of the site. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2022, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-offer-from-zoom-for-real-or-a-scam/959785/3 "2022-02-19T16:00:58Z")
The original email I got was filled with links, all going to “acton”. None were linked to the settlement site. Someone made an effort(or was too stupid to realize) to make it it look like spam. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2022, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-offer-from-zoom-for-real-or-a-scam/959785/4 "2022-02-19T17:08:55Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Someone made an effort(or was too stupid to realize) to make it it look like spam. Indeed, when I received the email a few days ago it was in my spam file. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2022, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-offer-from-zoom-for-real-or-a-scam/959785/5 "2022-02-19T17:10:00Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > > [@running\_coach](#): > > > > Someone made an effort(or was too stupid to realize) to make it it look like spam. > > Indeed, when I received the email a few days ago it was in my spam file. - I also got the follow-up. Both were in the spam folder. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2023, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-offer-from-zoom-for-real-or-a-scam/959785/7 "2023-05-31T16:36:25Z")
Bumping this because I just got my settlement of $32.32. So far the process has been easy. Today I was given a link to claim my money, in one of 6 ways - Visa gift card, Amazon gift card, bank transfer, PayPal, Venmo or check. I chose Venmo. Hasn’t hit my account yet but I’ll let you know. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2023, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-offer-from-zoom-for-real-or-a-scam/959785/8 "2023-05-31T19:38:33Z")
Yes, these are classic. You get a few bucks or a coupon and the lawyers get a hundred million. They are not really interested in having you file your claims, the lawyers already got theirs. There’s one for Facebook, too. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2023, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-offer-from-zoom-for-real-or-a-scam/959785/9 "2023-05-31T19:43:12Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > You get a few bucks or a coupon and the lawyers get a hundred million. the total spent on the class members always exceeds the attorney fees. (almost always). If a company over charges a million customers $60 each, there’s no efficient way to make them pay other than a class action lawsuit. Some people might get a refund, but most would be either unaware of the problem, or just walk away. Getting each class member $30 ($30,000,000 to the class) and taking a fee of $15 million seems fair to me. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2023, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-offer-from-zoom-for-real-or-a-scam/959785/10 "2023-05-31T19:53:47Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > the total spent on the class members always exceeds the attorney fees. (almost always). Well, yes but sorta not. The lawyers get 33% (except in CA and a few others where they get 25%) of the total allocated. Which is different than the total paid out. Say the lawsuit gets a $30M settlement- the lawyers get $10M- the rest is _allocated_ to the 500,000 people who were damaged. Some % of them file to collect their cut, others do not. The lawyers get the $10M either way. Still that means you- as the damaged party- gets $40. In other words, the only ones to profit are the lawyers. I have seen some what the payout is just a coupon. Now if the pool is small, it can be good for the claimants, but we dont hear about those much. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2023, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-offer-from-zoom-for-real-or-a-scam/959785/11 "2023-05-31T20:23:50Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Now if the pool is small, it can be good for the claimants, but we dont hear about those much. True. I had a case where class members got between $500 and $10,000 each. They were all happy. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2023, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-offer-from-zoom-for-real-or-a-scam/959785/12 "2023-05-31T20:26:43Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > True. I had a case where class members got between $500 and $10,000 each. They were all happy. In the Hinkley groundwater case, they got quite a bit each, as shown (sorta) in _Erin Brockovich._ ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2023, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-offer-from-zoom-for-real-or-a-scam/959785/13 "2023-06-01T10:39:45Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Now if the pool is small, it can be good for the claimants, but we dont hear about those much. Years ago, when fax machines were commonly in use, a guy (in Chicago IIRC) was pissed off about junk faxes. He did all the work to file a class action suit going after a company sending junk faxes. I was contacted about his first suit and joined the class. I got a couple hundred bucks for the minute I spent filling out the form. The guy in Chicago got a pile of money, but he did all the work. He quit his day job and just went after junk fax senders. I was with him over a few years time for six or so suits. Each time I made an easy one to three hundred dollars. Good times! ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2023, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-offer-from-zoom-for-real-or-a-scam/959785/14 "2023-06-01T18:03:20Z")
My father was involved in a class action suit against his former employer that settled around 1991. He got over $100K and wasn’t even one of the named plaintiffs ( who IIRC got more than the others ). But I doubt very much that it made the news anywhere other than the cities where the affected employees worked - and if it did, it was only because the settlement was the largest ever for that sort of case (at the time).