TransUnion OFAC database information sale $9M class action settlement

TransUnion agreed to a $9 million class action lawsuit settlement to resolve claims it violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) by selling information about consumers on the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) list.

The settlement benefits people to whom TransUnion sent a letter regarding OFAC database information between Jan. 1 and July 26, 2011. This class includes two subclasses. The stipulation subclass includes 1,853 class members who TransUnion identified in a pre-trial stipulation as those who had a credit report regarding OFAC list information shared with a third party. The 6,332 class members in the non-stipulation subclass may have had the same information disclosed, but this was not proven in the pre-trial stipulation.

TransUnion is one of the three major credit bureaus in the United States. TransUnion prepares consumer credit reports that include information such as financial accounts, bad debt, public records and more.

According to a class action lawsuit, TransUnion fails to inform consumers whether their reports include information from the OFAC’s Specifically Designated National and Blocked Persons list. As a result, consumers are allegedly unable to dispute their reports when they include erroneous OFAC list information. The plaintiff in the class action lawsuit says this conduct directly contradicts the FCRA and previous court decisions against TransUnion.

TransUnion also allegedly sells erroneous OFAC information to third parties. The class action plaintiff says Dublin Nissan ordered a credit report from TransUnion after he applied for an automotive loan. However, due to erroneous OFAC information that was only matched through a partial name, the plaintiff was allegedly denied a loan due to the false OFAC alert on his credit report.

According to the class action lawsuit, consumers such as the plaintiff didn’t have the opportunity to dispute erroneous OFAC information because TransUnion does not include this data in consumer copies of credit reports.

“As a result of Defendant’s failure to provide Plaintiff with all of the information it maintains and/or sells about him, specifically the OFAC alert information, Plaintiff was misled concerning the information that Defendant was reporting about him to third parties and deprived of the opportunity to dispute and correct the inaccurate OFAC alert that Defendant inaccurately associated with him on his report,” the TransUnion class action lawsuit contends.

TransUnion hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing but agreed to pay $9 million to resolve these FCRA allegations.

Under the terms of the TransUnion settlement, class members can receive a cash payment. Each participating class member is projected to receive a payment of over $1,900. Exact payment amounts will vary depending on the number of participating class members. A higher number of participants will result in lower payments, and vice versa.

Any funds remaining in the settlement after payments are distributed will be awarded to the Consumer Federation of California. No excess funds will revert to TransUnion.

The deadline for objection is Nov. 18, 2022. 

There is no exclusion deadline listed on the settlement website. 

The final approval hearing for the TransUnion settlement is scheduled for Dec. 15, 2022.

In order to receive settlement benefits, class members in the non-stipulation subclass must submit a valid claim form by Oct. 17, 2022. Members of the stipulation subclass do not need to file a claim to receive a payment.

Who’s Eligible

The settlement benefits people to whom TransUnion sent a letter regarding OFAC database information between Jan. 1 and July 26, 2011. This class includes two subclasses. The stipulation subclass includes 1,853 class members who TransUnion identified in a pre-trial stipulation as those who had a credit report regarding OFAC list information shared with a third party. The 6,332 class members in the non-stipulation subclass may have had the same information disclosed, but this was not proven in the pre-trial stipulation.

Potential Award

Varies

Proof of Purchase

Proof of purchase not applicable

Claim Form

Class members in the non-stipulation subclass must submit a valid claim form. Members of the stipulation subclass do not need to file a claim to receive a payment.

NOTE: If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.

Remember: you are submitting your claim under penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you’re unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator’s website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.

Claim Form Deadline

10/17/2022

Case Name

Ramirez v. Trans Union LLC, Case No. 3:12-cv-00632-JSC in the District Court, Northern District of California

Final Hearing

12/15/2022

Settlement Website

RamirezTUSettlement.com

Claims Administrator

Ramirez v. Trans Union LLC
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 16
West Point, PA 19486
(833) 215-9289
questions@RamirezTUSettlement.com

Class Counsel

James A Francis
FRANCIS MAILMAN SOUMILAS PC

Defense Counsel

Stephen J Newman
STROOCK & STROOCK & LAVAN