Question: I go to Vegas quite a bit, but I’ve never stayed at the MGM Grand. I got an email saying I’m entitled to a settlement from them. Is this a scam?
Answer: MGM Resorts International has reached a $45 million settlement of two class-action lawsuits over data breaches that exposed customers’ private information; one cybersecurity incident occurred around July 2019, and the other around September 2023. The company is larger than the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas; you don’t have to have stayed at that particular property to be included in the settlement.
“The Settlement Class includes all persons in the United States whose Private Information was compromised because of the Data Incidents and who were sent notice by the Defendant of the Data Incidents,” according to the settlement website.
Double-check the email you received. If genuine, it would be from the MGM Data Incident Litigation Settlement Administrator, include a unique ID number and PIN, and direct you to mgmdatasettlement.com Opens in a new tab for more information and to submit a claim online. Some settlement class members were sent postcards rather than emails. Notices started going out last week and will continue through April, the website says.
Varying amounts of private information of MGM customers and guests were accessed in the breaches. A claimant may submit documentation showing that they suffered financial losses due to the data breach(es) or accept a flat payment, without providing documentation, based on what personal information the company says was exposed. Here are the three tiers of cash payments:
>> Tier 1: “If your Social Security number or military identification number was exposed, you may be eligible to receive an estimated $75 flat cash payment.”
>> Tier 2: “If your passport number or driver’s license number was exposed, you may be eligible to receive an estimated $50 flat cash payment.”
>> Tier 3: “If your name, address, and/or date of birth was exposed, you may be eligible to receive an estimated $20 flat cash payment.”
The email you received should say whether you are eligible for a tiered payment, and what tier.
In addition, the company is offering one year of complimentary identity theft monitoring to eligible claimants.
Q: Where do we take used fire extinguishers?
A: Oahu residents can drop them off at city convenience centers or at the Kapaa or Kawailoa transfer stations, according to Honolulu’s Department of Environmental Services. Here are the locations, according to the ENV website:
Convenience centers:
>> Waimanalo, 41-241 Hihimanu St.
>> Waianae, 85-572 Waianae Valley Road
>> Waipahu, 94-071 Waipahu Depot St.
>> Ewa Beach, 91-1000 Geiger Road
>> Kapolei, 91-184 Kaomi Loop
>> Laie, 56-020 Kamehameha Highway
>> Wahiawa, 71-129 Wilikina Drive
Transfer stations:
>> Kapaa (Kailua), 100 Kapaa Quarry Road
>> Kawailoa (Haleiwa), 62-180 Kawailoa Road
The convenience centers and the Kawailoa transfer station are open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., while the Kapaa transfer station is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends, the website says.
Residents are allowed to drop off two loads a day at the city’s disposal sites. For more information, go to 808ne.ws/4bnbK9e Opens in a new tab.
Mahalo
It’s 6 p.m. Dr. Mark Gerber of Straub hospital on King Street has just called with the good news that my husband’s MRI results were stable. “Everything looks good!” We are so relieved and thankful. In 2022, Dr. Gerber performed a craniotomy to remove tumors in the brain. We continue to follow up with him — what a blessing. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to this caring, skilled and incredible neurosurgeon. What a treasure he is to Hawaii! — Thank you, the Youngs
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 2-200, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
