HispanicBusiness

TAMPA, Fla., April 25 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- A notification program began today in the United States and Puerto Rico, as ordered by the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida (the "Court"), to alert people who had a credit card; paid by check for an online or phone purchase; got cash at a casino; or had a check that bounced or was returned, about a proposed settlement reached with Certegy Check Services, Inc. and Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (together called "Certegy" or the "Defendants") in a class action lawsuit about stolen personal and financial information. Preliminary approval of the settlement was granted by the Court on March 21, 2008.

The lawsuit claims that a senior database administrator employed by Certegy took confidential information of millions of consumer's records and sold them to a third party for marketing purposes. Certegy fired the employee when the incident was discovered. The lawsuit further alleges that Certegy did not adequately protect confidential personal and financial information of its clients. Certegy denies that it did anything wrong, and the settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing or an indication that any law was violated.

The Class includes anyone in the United States and Puerto Rico whose credit card, debit card, checking or demand deposit account numbers or information was included in multiple databases. This includes millions of consumers who were previously notified by their financial institution or Certegy that their personal and/or financial information was stolen.

Notices informing Class Members about their legal rights will be mailed, and are scheduled to appear in newspapers and/or magazines in the United States and Puerto Rico leading up to a hearing on August 22, 2008, when the Court will consider whether to grant final approval to the settlement.

The Court has appointed Ben Barnow, Barnow and Associates, P.C. of Chicago, Illinois; Lance A. Harke, Harke & Clasby LLP of Miami, Florida; and Ralph K. Phalen, Law Office of Ralph K. Phalen of Kansas City, Missouri, as Co-Lead Settlement Class Counsel to represent the Class.

Those affected by this settlement can send in a claim form to ask for benefits, if eligible, or they can ask to be excluded from, or object to, the settlement and its terms. The deadline for exclusions and objections is August 1, 2008. The earliest deadline to file claims is July 31, 2008.

A toll-free number, 1-877-580-9770, has been established in the case (called Lockwood v. Certegy Check Services, Inc. No. 8:07-cv-1434-T-23TGW), along with a website, http://www.DataSettlement.com, where notices, claim forms, and the settlement agreement may be obtained. Those affected may also write to Data Settlement, PO Box 3410, Portland, OR 97208-3410.