DCACF Data Incident Settlement: Claim $50 up to $5,000

Consumers who received a written notice from D.C. & Associates of Central Florida P.A. about a data incident on or around July 26, 2023, may be eligible to claim up to $5,000 from a class action settlement.

D.C. & Associates of Central Florida P.A., a provider of tax, accounting and payroll services, agreed to settle a lawsuit for alleged failure to protect customer data after a ransomware attack on April 3, 2023.

The incident may have exposed sensitive personal information, including names, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers and bank account numbers.

Who can file a D.C. & Associates of Central Florida P.A. claim?

Class members are eligible to file a claim if:

• They are a U.S. resident who received written notification from D.C. & Associates of Central Florida P.A. about the data incident that occurred on or around July 26, 2023.
• The notification stated that their personal information may have been exposed in the April 3, 2023 data breach.

Those who received a direct notice (by mail or email) from DCACF are likely included.

How much can class members get?

The settlement provides several types of compensation, depending on your situation and the losses class members experienced:

• Ordinary expense reimbursement: Up to $2,000 for unreimbursed costs or expenditures incurred in responding to the data incident, including up to $80 for lost time (at $20 per hour for up to four hours). Eligible expenses include costs for credit reports, credit freezes, notary, postage, mileage and credit monitoring purchased after July 26, 2023.
• Extraordinary expense reimbursement: Up to $5,000 for unreimbursed costs or expenditures fairly traceable to the data breach, such as losses from identity theft, fraud or falsified tax returns, including up to $240 for lost time (at $30 per hour for up to eight hours).
• Alternative cash payment: Class members who do not claim out-of-pocket or extraordinary losses or lost time may claim a flat $50 cash payment instead.
• Free credit monitoring: All class members can claim two years of three-bureau credit monitoring, which includes dark web scanning, identity theft insurance, real-time credit monitoring and access to fraud resolution agents.

How to claim a data breach award

Class members must file a claim online or download, print and complete the PDF claim form to mail in. The deadline to submit a claim online or have it postmarked by mail is Oct. 15, 2025.

Settlement administrator's mailing address: DC & Associates of Central Florida Settlement, Claims Administrator, PO Box 25226, Santa Ana, CA 92799

What documentation is required to submit a claim?

• Proof of class membership is required, such as the class member's unique identifier from the settlement notice or their name and address as provided to D.C. & Associates of Central Florida P.A.
• For ordinary expense reimbursement: Receipts or statements for claimed expenses
• For extraordinary expense reimbursement: Proof of losses and a narrative of actions taken
• For lost time: An attestation and description of activities performed
• For the alternative cash payment: Proof of class membership only

Payout options

• PayPal, Venmo, Zelle or a prepaid card (online claims only)
• Paper check

Settlement fund expenses

The settlement fund will cover attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses, as well as a service award for the representative plaintiff. Payments to class members are not reduced by these amounts, as they are paid separately according to the settlement terms.

• Settlement administration costs: To be determined
• Attorneys' fees and expenses: Up to $100,000
• Service award to the representative plaintiff: $2,500
• Credit monitoring costs: To be determined
• Payments to eligible class members: Remainder of the fund

Important dates

• Opt-out deadline: Sept. 15, 2025
• Fairness hearing: Oct. 7, 2025
• Claim deadline: Oct. 15, 2025

When is the DCACF data incident settlement payout date?

If the settlement is approved and any appeals are resolved, payments and benefits will be distributed to eligible class members who filed valid claims.

Why is there a class action settlement?

The class action lawsuit alleged a ransomware attack on D.C. & Associates of Central Florida P.A.'s network exposed sensitive personal information of current and former customers. The claims against DCACF included negligence, breach of implied contract, breach of fiduciary duty and violation of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

DCACF denies any wrongdoing but agreed to settle to avoid the costs and risks of litigation and to provide compensation to affected individuals.

Sources

1. Class notice
2. Settlement website FAQ page
3. Official settlement documents