PARS Public Agency Retirement Services Data Breach Settlement

December 1, 2026 is not a claim deadline — there is no claim to file, and letting that date pass is exactly what keeps you in line for payment. The PARS Public Agency Retirement Services Data Breach Settlement is a $750,000 automatic-payment settlement of Winer v. Phase II Systems, d/b/a Public Agency Retirement Services, No. 30-2024-01428283-CU-NP-CXC (Superior Court of California, County of Orange), over a targeted cyberattack on PARS’s computer systems in or around March 2024 in which files that may have held full names and Social Security numbers were accessed. The official Notice lists “DO NOTHING” with a deadline of “No Deadline”: stay in and you are paid automatically. What December 1, 2026 actually is — the only date-certain deadline in the case — is the last day to opt out or object, and opting out is what forfeits your money. This is a closed, records-based class of about 23,337 people that you cannot sign up for. PARS’s own records decide who is in it and there is no claim form, so there is no way to join. If PARS’s records do not list you, your only route is the Dispute process: the administrator tells you why you got no Notice, you get 21 days to submit documentation, and the decision is made in its sole discretion and is final. A postcard Notice — mailed October 2, 2026 — is the practical sign that you are in. Most people reading about this will not qualify, because PARS is a vendor they never dealt with. Phase II Systems d/b/a Public Agency Retirement Services is a Newport Beach, California retirement-plan administrator for public agency employers — cities, counties, school districts and community college districts — serving public agencies since 1984. You do not sign up with PARS; your employer does, and you land in its records as a plan participant. “PARS” is a reused acronym and no other company by that name is involved, and this is a data breach case, not an ERISA or retirement-plan mismanagement case. One benefit, one amount, nothing to elect. Everyone who stays in receives a single pro rata cash payment — an equal share, since the class list is fixed and nobody files. There is no claim form, no proof to submit and nothing to document in order to be paid. There are no tiers, no documented-expense option, no payment for lost time and no credit monitoring offered at all. There is also no official per-person estimate: the Notice, the FAQ and the Settlement Agreement give no dollar figure, and the commonly cited ~$19 is OpenClassActions’ arithmetic, not a court-authorized number. The $750,000 is gross, and each cap covers one deduction rather than the settlement: up to $210,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs, a $3,000 service award, and administration expenses not exceeding $88,000 come out first — up to $301,000, about 40% of the headline — leaving roughly $449,000 for the class. The fund is non-reversionary, so PARS cannot reclaim leftovers, but PARS may terminate the whole settlement if more than 150 class members opt out — about 0.64% of the class, an unusually low trigger. Final approval hearing: February 1, 2027, with payment due 30 days after the settlement becomes final, so realistically well into 2027. PARS denies that it did anything wrong and the Court has not decided who is right.

Do I Qualify?

You may be eligible if:

• Your Personal Information was compromised in the Security Incident experienced by PARS in or around March 2024. That is the class definition, and it expressly includes everyone who received notice of the breach
• You reside in the United States. The class is “all individuals residing in the United States” whose information was compromised — any state qualifies, benefits do not vary by state, and California residence is not required even though the case is in Orange County, California
• YOU ARE ON PARS’S LIST. This is the real gate. The class is a closed, records-based list of about 23,337 people drawn from PARS’s own records, and because payment is automatic with no claim form, there is no way to add yourself. A postcard Notice mailed October 2, 2026 is the practical sign that you are in
• If you got no Notice but believe you qualify, you use the Dispute process instead: contact Simpluris, which tells you why you did not receive Notice, then submit documentation within 21 days showing you are or should have been on the Settlement Class List. The administrator decides in its sole discretion and the determination is final
• A public agency employer put you in PARS’s records. PARS is a retirement-plan administrator for public agency employers — cities, counties, school districts and community college districts — not a company individuals sign up with. In practice the class is current and former public agency employees, retirees and beneficiaries whose plans PARS administered
• It has to be THIS PARS. Only Phase II Systems d/b/a Public Agency Retirement Services, the California-based public agency retirement administrator, is involved. “PARS” is a widely reused acronym and no other entity using it is part of this settlement
• You do NOT need to have lost any money, suffered identity theft, or kept any records. Payment is automatic and requires no documentation of anything
• You do NOT need the LoginID and PIN from your postcard to be paid. Those credentials only unlock the payment-method portal if you want an electronic payment instead of a mailed check
• You are not in an excluded group. The exclusions are narrow: the Judge in this case and the Judge’s family and staff; PARS and its officers, directors and related companies; and anyone who validly excludes themselves
• You do nothing by December 1, 2026. Doing nothing is the qualifying action — opting out by that date is what removes you from the settlement and forfeits your payment

Nothing is required of you to be paid. There is no claim form, no proof to submit and no attestation — payment is automatic. That makes this one of the rare settlements where the paperwork question has no answer, because there is no paperwork. What replaces it is a different and stricter question: is your name on PARS’s list? The real gate is the Settlement Class List, not evidence. The Settlement Agreement defines the Settlement Class List as a list of each Settlement Class Member’s information drawn from PARS’s own records, and the settlement website describes Class Members as individuals identified by PARS’ records who are entitled to benefits. Simpluris mails payment to that list. Because nothing is filed, there is no form on which to make your case, and no way to opt in. For the roughly 23,337 people on the list this is the easiest settlement imaginable. For anyone not on it, it is close to a closed door. If you received no Notice, the Dispute process is your only route — and it is narrow. Paragraph 51 of the Settlement Agreement sets out the whole of it. If you contact the Settlement Administrator asserting that you are a Class Member but did not receive Notice, the administrator must, within a reasonable time of making a determination, tell you the reasons you did not receive Notice. You then have twenty-one (21) days to submit documentation demonstrating that you are, or should have been, included on the Settlement Class List. Three details are worth reading twice: the administrator decides in its sole discretion; if it finds you have not established eligibility it must notify you within ten (10) days; and that determination is final. There is no appeal to the Court written into the process. The administrator may consult Class Counsel and PARS’s counsel in making the decision. Notifications go by email unless no email address was provided, in which case they go by U.S. mail. What documentation would even look like. The Agreement does not enumerate acceptable documents, so this is judgment rather than a checklist. The thing you are trying to establish is that a public agency employer enrolled you in a PARS-administered retirement program, which is what would have put you in PARS’s records — so plan statements, enrollment paperwork, payroll deductions naming PARS, or an earlier breach notification from PARS are the natural candidates. An unrelated breach notice from some other company is not evidence of anything here. If you still have the postcard Notice mailed October 2, 2026, you do not need any of this. The LoginID and PIN are not a proof requirement and do not gate your payment. This is worth separating out, because in many data breach settlements a notice code is the hard barrier. Here the credentials printed on your postcard unlock only the Payment Selection portal on PhaseIIDataSettlement.com, and only if you want an electronic payment (E-Mastercard, PayPal, Venmo or Zelle) instead of a mailed check. Lose them and you are still paid — by check, to the address the administrator has. The site explains how to request the credentials from Simpluris by giving your full name and mailing address. What this settlement does not ask for, and does not pay for. No receipts, no bank statements, no credit reports, no sworn statement of hours spent, and no evidence of identity theft — because none of those benefits exist in this settlement. There is no documented-expense tier, no reimbursement for out-of-pocket costs, no lost-time payment, and no credit monitoring or identity theft protection offered. The single pro rata cash payment is the entire benefit. The one thing genuinely worth doing is address hygiene. Payment defaults to a mailed check, so a stale address is the main practical way to miss out — particularly for retirees and former public agency employees who have moved since enrolling. A check uncashed after ninety (90) days triggers a chase process in which the administrator must attempt to reach you by email or phone, search for an updated address, and reissue a check or mail a postcard explaining how to obtain one; any reissued or replacement check then stays negotiable for only sixty (60) days. Contact Simpluris at info@PhaseIIDataSettlement.com or 1-833-360-6805 to confirm your address.

What Happened?

Phase II Systems, doing business as Public Agency Retirement Services (“PARS”), is a retirement-plan administrator headquartered in Newport Beach, California. It has served public agencies since 1984 and reports more than 1,000 public agency clients — cities, counties, school districts and community college districts, heavily concentrated in California — designing and administering retirement programs for their employees. As part of that work it holds the personal information of the plan participants its public agency clients enroll.

According to the settlement website and FAQ, a targeted cyberattack on PARS’s computer systems occurred in or around March 2024 (the “Security Incident”). Certain files that contained private information were accessed. The settlement documents state those files may have contained personal information such as full names and Social Security numbers. The Settlement Agreement defines the Security Incident simply as “the cybersecurity incident affecting Defendant which occurred in or around March 2024” — no narrower date range is disclosed in the public settlement record, which is why this settlement has no class period. Class Members may have received an earlier breach notification directly from PARS.

Christopher Winer filed a class action complaint against PARS on September 25, 2024 in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Orange. The case is Winer v. Phase II Systems, d/b/a Public Agency Retirement Services, Case No. 30-2024-01428283-CU-NP-CXC, before Judge David Hoffer. PARS denies the allegations and causes of action pled in the litigation, denies that the case is suitable for class treatment absent a settlement, and denies any liability. The Court has not decided who is right.

The parties reached a settlement after what the Agreement describes as prolonged and extensive arm’s length negotiations. The Court has appointed Leigh S. Montgomery of EKSM, LLP in Houston, Texas as Class Counsel; Class Members are not charged for those services. PARS is represented by Baker & Hostetler LLP. Christopher Winer is the Class Representative.

PARS agreed to establish a non-reversionary common fund of $750,000. The Settlement Agreement states PARS represents there are approximately 23,337 individuals in the Settlement Class, identified from a Settlement Class List drawn from its own records. The Court granted preliminary approval, Simpluris was appointed Settlement Administrator, and the notice mailing went out October 2, 2026. Because every Class Member who does not opt out is paid automatically, this settlement has no claim form and no claim deadline.

The deductions come off the fund before the class is paid: Class Counsel will request $210,000 in attorneys’ fees and litigation costs, a $3,000 Service Award is requested for the Class Representative, and notice and administration expenses are capped at $88,000. The Court rules on all three at the final approval hearing and may award less. Whatever remains is divided pro rata among Class Members who do not opt out. Paragraph 52 bars any reversion of the fund to PARS. Paragraph 75 lets PARS terminate the Agreement if more than 150 Class Members validly request exclusion.

In exchange, Class Members who stay in release all claims arising out of or relating to the Security Incident against PARS and a broad list of Released Parties — including, as Section IX spells out, PARS’s parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, successors, insurers, vendors, agents and attorneys, and expressly including PARS’s clients. For a class of public agency plan participants that detail matters: the release reaches the public agency employers whose plans PARS administered, not just PARS. The release does not cover claims unrelated to the Security Incident.

The Final Approval Hearing is set for February 1, 2027 at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time in Department CX103 of the Superior Court of Orange County, California, at 751 W Santa Ana Blvd, Santa Ana, CA 92701, and the date and time may change without further notice. Payments are distributed only if the Court grants final approval and after any appeals are resolved, with the Cash Fund Payment Deadline set at 30 days after the Effective Date. PARS also says it has implemented additional security measures.

How to File Your Claim

1. NO ACTION NEEDED AND NOTHING TO SUBMIT — THERE IS NO CLAIM FORM AND NO CLAIM DEADLINE. The official Notice lists “DO NOTHING” with a deadline of “No Deadline”: unless you opt out, you are automatically part of the Settlement and will receive a cash payment. PARS’s records identify the roughly 23,337 class members and Simpluris mails a payment to everyone who does not exclude themselves, if the Court grants final approval
2. DECEMBER 1, 2026 IS NOT A CLAIM DEADLINE — IT IS THE DEADLINE TO LEAVE. It is the last day to opt out and the last day to object. Letting it pass costs you nothing and is what keeps you in line for payment. Acting on it is what forfeits your money
3. THE ONE THING WORTH DOING: make sure the Settlement Administrator can reach you. Payment is issued by mailed check by default, so a stale address is the main practical risk. If you have moved since a public agency employer enrolled you in a PARS-administered plan, contact Simpluris at info@PhaseIIDataSettlement.com or 1-833-360-6805 (toll free, 24/7)
4. OPTIONAL — ELECTRONIC PAYMENT INSTEAD OF A CHECK: Settlement Class Members who would rather be paid by E-Mastercard, PayPal, Venmo or Zelle than by paper check can log in at the Payment Selection page on PhaseIIDataSettlement.com using the LoginID and PIN printed on the Notice they received. This changes how you are paid, not how much. Misplaced your Notice? The site directs you to request your LoginID and PIN from the administrator by providing your full name and mailing address. These credentials unlock only the payment-method portal — they do not gate your payment
5. WATCH OUT: THE ELECTRONIC PAYMENT ELECTION DEADLINE HAS NOT BEEN SET YET. The Settlement Agreement defines it as fourteen (14) days before the Cash Fund Payment Deadline, which is itself thirty (30) days after the Effective Date. Since the Effective Date depends on final approval and the expiry of any appeals, no calendar date exists for it today. It will be stated in the Final Approval Order and on the settlement website — check the site rather than assuming it is December 1
6. IF YOU THINK YOU ARE A CLASS MEMBER BUT GOT NO NOTICE: contact the Settlement Administrator. Under Paragraph 51 of the Settlement Agreement it will tell you why you did not receive Notice, and you then have 21 days to submit documentation showing you are or should have been on the Settlement Class List. If the administrator finds you have not established eligibility it must notify you within 10 days, and that determination is final
7. TO EXCLUDE YOURSELF: mail a Request for Exclusion postmarked no later than December 1, 2026 to PARS Security Incident Settlement, ATTN: Exclusion Request, P.O. Box 25226, Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958. It must give the name of the Litigation (Winer v. Phase II Systems d/b/a Public Agency Retirement Services, Case No. 30-2024-01428283-CU-NP-CXC, Superior Court of Orange County, California), your full name, mailing address, telephone number and email address, your personal signature, and the words “Request for Exclusion” or a clear similar statement. You may only exclude yourself, not anyone else. A form is on the website’s Important Documents page. Opting out means no payment
8. TO OBJECT: file a written objection with the Clerk of the Court by December 1, 2026 and send copies to the Settlement Administrator, Class Counsel and Defendant’s counsel. The Notice lists nine required items, including the case name and number, your contact details, whether the objection applies to other Class Members, a clear description of all your reasons with any legal support, your attorney’s details if any, a five-year history of objections in other cases by you or your attorney, whether you intend to appear, any witnesses or documents you plan to present, and your signature. All nine are required for the objection to be valid. You cannot both exclude yourself and object
9. FINAL APPROVAL HEARING: February 1, 2027 at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time in Department CX103 of the Superior Court of Orange County, California, 751 W Santa Ana Blvd, Santa Ana, CA 92701. The date and time may change without further notice — check the settlement website
10. SETTLEMENT ADMINISTRATOR: Simpluris — PARS Security Incident Settlement, c/o Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 25226, Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958, info@PhaseIIDataSettlement.com, 1-833-360-6805 toll free 24/7. Do not contact the Court or Clerk of Court about this Settlement
11. Official settlement website (no claim form): https://www.phaseiidatasettlement.com/

How Much Will I Actually Get?

ONE BENEFIT, ONE AMOUNT, THE SAME FOR EVERYONE — AND NOTHING TO ELECT. Every Class Member who does not opt out receives a single Pro Rata Cash Payment, calculated by dividing the net money from the Settlement Fund by the number of Class Members who do not opt out. Because the class is a fixed list of about 23,337 people and nobody has to file, that arithmetic makes it an equal share. There are no tiers, no documented-expense option, no reimbursement for out-of-pocket costs, no payment for time spent dealing with the breach, and no credit monitoring or identity theft protection offered anywhere in this settlement. The single figure is the whole of it. This is worth stating plainly because most data breach settlements make you pick between a flat cash amount and reimbursement of documented expenses; this one does not, because there is nothing to pick and nothing to file. THERE IS NO OFFICIAL PER-PERSON ESTIMATE. Neither the court-authorized Notice, nor the FAQ, nor the Settlement Agreement states a dollar amount per Class Member. The widely repeated figure of about $19 is OpenClassActions’ own arithmetic, not a court-authorized or administrator-published estimate, and it should be treated as an outside approximation rather than a promise. THE $750,000 IS GROSS, NOT WHAT REACHES THE CLASS — AND EACH CAP COVERS ONE DEDUCTION, NOT THE SETTLEMENT. PARS will establish a Settlement Fund of $750,000.00. The Notice is explicit that the Fund is used FIRST to pay court-approved attorneys’ fees and costs, a Service Award for the Plaintiff, and the costs of administering the Settlement; only “the net remaining money” goes to Class Members. Three separate limits apply to those deductions and none of them is a limit on the settlement as a whole: Class Counsel will ask the Court to approve $210,000.00 in attorneys’ fees and costs of litigation; a Service Award of $3,000.00 is requested for the Class Representative; and class notice and settlement administration expenses “will not exceed $88,000.00.” That is up to $301,000 off the top — roughly 40% of the headline number — leaving about $449,000 for the class if the Court grants all three in full. The $88,000 figure in particular is a ceiling on administration costs only; reading it as a cap on the settlement, or on total deductions, gets it badly wrong. THE NUMBER CAN MOVE IN EITHER DIRECTION. These are requests, not awards: the Court decides the amounts at the February 1, 2027 hearing and may award less than is asked, which would leave more for the class. The per-person share also rises slightly with every valid opt-out, since the same net fund is divided among fewer people. THE FUND IS NON-REVERSIONARY — PARS CANNOT TAKE BACK THE LEFTOVERS. Paragraph 52 provides that no portion of the Settlement Fund shall revert to or be repaid to PARS under any circumstances, except under the Agreement’s Termination provisions or if the Effective Date does not occur. Note what non-reversionary does and does not mean here: it keeps unspent money away from the company, but this agreement contains no provision adding unused administration budget back into the class payment before the first distribution. Instead, if funds remain more than 150 days after the initial distribution of checks, or 30 days after reissued checks stop being negotiable — whichever is later — Class Counsel may at its discretion redistribute them to Class Members if feasible. If redistribution is not practicable, what is left becomes Remainder Funds and goes to one or more court-approved charities as a cy pres distribution. PARS CAN WALK AWAY IF MORE THAN 150 PEOPLE OPT OUT — AN UNUSUALLY LOW TRIGGER. Paragraph 75 gives PARS the right to terminate the entire Agreement if more than 150 members of the Settlement Class timely and validly request exclusion. Against a class of about 23,337, that is roughly 0.64% — a far lower threshold than the percentage-based triggers common in these settlements. HOW AND WHEN YOU ARE PAID. Payment is issued by mailed check unless you timely elect an electronic payment (E-Mastercard, PayPal, Venmo or Zelle) through the settlement website. The Cash Fund Payment Deadline is thirty (30) days after the Effective Date, and the Effective Date is one business day after the Final Approval Order becomes final and non-appealable. A check not cashed within ninety (90) days of issue triggers a defined chase process — the administrator must try to reach you by email or phone, search for an updated address, and reissue a check or mail a postcard explaining how to get one — and any reissued or replacement check stays negotiable for only sixty (60) days before it may be automatically cancelled. NOTHING IS PAID UNTIL THE COURT APPROVES, AND THAT IS NOT SOON. No payment date has been announced. The Final Approval Hearing is February 1, 2027, payments are distributed only if the Court grants final approval and after any appeals are resolved, and the Notice states the parties do not know whether appeals will be filed or how long they would take. Realistically this is well into 2027 at the earliest. PARS denies that it did anything wrong and the Court has not decided who is right.

Last reviewed: October 9, 2026 | Information verified from court records and official settlement documents.

Frequently Asked Questions