Wawa pays NJ for data breach, but where is your money?

With much fanfare, acting Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced Wawa would pay New Jersey over $2.5 million to settle a 2019 data breach, but there was no mention of compensation for Wawa customers.

Wawa has agreed to pay $9 million dollars in compensation to customers as a result of a class action lawsuit that was filed within days of the breach being made public.

A judge signed off on settlement terms in April, but the final agreement remains bogged down in the appeals process after a group of Wawa employees challenged the terms.

Wawa set up a website to file claims for compensation, but a notice on the site says no compensation will be paid until the appeal is settled.

An appeal has been filed to the final approval order. Accordingly, settlement relief will not be distributed at this time. Please continue to check the settlement website for further updates. - Wawa website

It is not clear when the judge will address the employee aspect of the case. Employees of the chain argued their interests were not properly considered in the case.

As many as 22 million customers could have had their credit card data compromised if they used their card inside a store or at a gas pump between March 4, 2019 and Dec. 12, 2019.

Wawa had agreed to compensation ranging from $5 gift cards to up to $500 in cash, depending on what data was compromised.

Once the appeal is settled, customers will be able to file a claim on-line or by mail.

Eric Scott is the senior political director and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at eric.scott@townsquaremedia.com

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