Frequently Asked Questions

Basic Information

1. Why was the Notice issued?

A Court authorized the Notice because you have a right to know about the proposed Settlement of this Action and about all your options before the Court decides whether to grant Final Approval of the Settlement. The Notice explains the Action, your legal rights, what benefits are available, and who can receive them.

The Action is called Gregory Maricle, et al. v. SouthState Bank, N.A., Case No. CACE-2024CA-002530 and is pending in the Tenth Judicial Circuit in and for Polk County, Florida. The people who filed this Action are called the “Plaintiffs” and the company they sued, SouthState Bank, N.A., is called the “Defendant.”

2. What is this Action about?

On February 7, 2024, a third party unlawfully accessed the Defendant’s computer network and accessed the Private Information of current and former customers. This information may have included: names, dates of birth, addresses, telephone numbers, financial account numbers, and Social Security numbers. On March 29, 2024, the Defendant began notifying potentially impacted individuals.

Various lawsuits were filed related to the Data Incident, which were consolidated and are now known as Gregory Maricle, et al. v. SouthState Bank, N.A., Case No. CACE-2024CA-002530. The Plaintiffs allege claims against the Defendant for negligence, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and unjust enrichment arising from its claimed failure to implement proper cybersecurity protocols to protect sensitive customer data. The Defendant denies any and all wrongdoing.

3. What is a class action?

In a class action, one or more individuals sue on behalf of other people with similar claims. These individuals who sue are known as “Class Representatives” or “Plaintiffs.” Together, the people included in the class action are called a “Settlement Class” or “Settlement Class Members.” One court resolves the lawsuit for all Settlement Class Members, except for those who exclude themselves (sometimes called, “opting-out”) from a settlement. In this Settlement, the Class Representatives are Gregory Maricle, Rodney Dailey, Ashley Flott, Damica Fullwood-Demps, Latona Gore, Christopher Hart, Cain King, Bonnie Lapwood, Aaron Marks, Tiffany Swinton, Timothy Van Dyke, George Vargha, Craig Zivolich, Todd Wilkes, and Molly Wilkes.

4. Why is there a Settlement?

The Court has not decided in favor of the Plaintiffs or Defendant. The Defendant denies all claims and contends that it has not violated any laws or obligations to the Plaintiffs. The Plaintiffs and Defendant agreed to a Settlement to avoid the costs and risks of a trial, and through the Settlement, Settlement Class Members are eligible to claim a payment and benefit more quickly. The Plaintiffs and their attorneys, who also represent the Settlement Class, believe the Settlement is in the best interests of all Settlement Class Members.

Who is in the Settlement?

5. Who is included in the Settlement?

The Settlement Class consists of all living persons residing in the United States who were sent notice that their Private Information may have been impacted in the Data Incident on or around February 7, 2024.

6. Are there exceptions to being included in the Settlement?

Yes, excluded from the Settlement Class are (a) all persons who are directors, officers, and agents of Defendant; (b) governmental entities; (c) the Judge assigned to the Action, that Judge’s immediate family, and Court staff; and (d) any Settlement Class Member who timely opts-out of the Settlement.

The Settlement Class Member Benefits

7. What can I get from this Settlement?

If approved by the Court, the Defendant will pay up to $1,500,000.00 into a “Cash Fund” to provide Cash Payments to Settlement Class Members. In addition to the cash benefits below, the Defendant will also provide for Credit Monitoring with insurance coverage for fraud and/or identity theft. All Settlement Class Members have been provided with a unique code on their Notice to activate one year of Credit Monitoring services. This is an automatic benefit to all Settlement Class Members except those who opt-out of the Settlement. Once the Settlement receives Final Approval and upon the Effective Date, Settlement Class Members will be able to enroll in the Credit Monitoring product provided under this Settlement using their Credit Monitoring code (see Question 10). Enrollment and activation of the Credit Monitoring services will be available only after the Court grants Final Approval of the Settlement. Instructions on how to activate the code will be provided on this website after the Settlement has been approved by the Court.

Settlement Class Members may choose to receive one or both of the following Cash Payments:

• Cash Payment A – Documented Losses: Reimbursement of up to $3,500 for documented losses as result of fraud and/or identity theft more likely than not caused by the Data Incident; and

• Cash Payment B – Pro Rata Cash: A pro rata (proportional) cash payment.

8. Tell me more about the Cash Payments.

All Settlement Class Members may choose to file a Claim Form to receive (1) Cash Payment A – Documented Losses and/or (2) Cash Payment B – Pro Rata Cash, as described below.

Cash Payment A – Documented Losses

Settlement Class Members may submit a claim online here for a Cash Payment of up to $3,500.00 for unreimbursed documented losses relating to fraud or identity theft if: (i) the loss is an actual, documented, and unreimbursed monetary loss; (ii) the loss was more likely than not caused by the Data Incident; and (iii) the loss was incurred after February 7, 2024. Losses include:

• Bank fees, overdraft charges, late fees, or declined payment fees resulting from fraud;

• Charges for credit monitoring or identity theft protection purchased in response to the data breach;

• Costs incurred to place or remove a credit freeze;

• Professional fees paid to address identity fraud (e.g., accountants, attorneys, fraud specialists);

• Replacement costs for government-issued identification or documents;

• Long-distance phone charges, postage, notary, or similar incidental costs; and

• Fraudulent, unreimbursed charges or financial loss directly traceable to misuse of personal information obtained in the Data Incident.

You cannot be reimbursed for documented losses if you have already been reimbursed for the same expenses from another source, including compensation provided in connection with any credit monitoring and identity theft protection product.

To receive reimbursement for documented losses, you may submit a valid Claim Form online here choosing Cash Payment A – Documented Losses by June 15, 2026, including “Reasonable Documentation” generated by a third-party supporting your claim (i.e., credit card statements, bank statements, invoices, telephone records, and receipts). Personal certifications, declarations, or affidavits from the Settlement Class Member are not considered proper documentation, but may be included to provide clarification, context, or support for other submitted reasonable documentation.

If you do not submit documentation supporting a loss or the Settlement Administrator rejects your Claim for Cash Payment A and you fail to cure the Claim after a reasonable period of time, it will be rejected.

Cash Payment B - Pro Rata Cash Payment

In addition to filing a claim for Cash Payment A - Documented Losses, Settlement Class Members may also request a pro rata (proportional) cash payment (Cash Payment B). The amount of this payment will be calculated based on the number of claims filed as described in Question 9. To file claim for Cash Payment B, you may submit a valid Claim Form online here choosing this benefit by June 15, 2026.

Note: You only need to submit one Claim Form selecting one or both Cash Payments, as appropriate.

9. How will the Cash Payments be calculated?

The Cash Fund will be used to pay all valid Claims for Cash Payments. Valid Claims for Cash Payment A – Documented Losses will be paid first, and then the remaining balance of the Cash Fund will be paid for valid Claims for Cash Payment B – Pro Rata Cash. Payment amounts may be adjusted based on the number of valid Claims on a pro rata (proportional) basis. More detailed information is available in Section IV of the Settlement Agreement.

10. Tell me more about the Credit Monitoring Benefit.

In addition to Cash Payment A and Cash Payment B, all Settlement Class Members are entitled to receive one year of credit monitoring with one credit bureau. The monitoring will also include $1,000,000.00 of identity theft insurance. The Credit Monitoring Benefit will be automatically provided to Settlement Class Members who do not opt-out of the Settlement. Once the Settlement receives Final Approval, Settlement Class Members will be able to activate the service using the Credit Monitoring code emailed or mailed to you in a postcard. You can contact the Settlement Administrator at info@SouthStateBankDataSettlement.com or toll-free at (888) 232-0977 if you do not know your Credit Monitoring code.

11. What claims am I releasing if I stay in the Settlement Class?

Unless you opt-out of the Settlement, you cannot sue, continue to sue, or be part of any other action against the Defendant about any of the claims this Settlement resolves. The Releases section in the Settlement Agreement describes the claims that you give up if you remain in the Settlement Class. The Settlement Agreement can be found here.

How to Get Settlement Class Member Benefits – Making a Claim

12. How do I submit a Claim Form?

To file a Claim, you must submit a Claim Form by June 15, 2026. Claim Forms may be submitted online here by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 15, 2026, or you may download a Claim Form here and mail it, postmarked by June 15, 2026, to the Settlement Administrator at:

Gregory Maricle, et al., v. SouthState Bank, N.A.
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799

Reminder: If you are filing a claim that includes Cash Payment A – Documented Losses, you must submit reasonable documentation for your claim (see Question 8).

13. When will I get my Settlement Benefits?

The short answer is – after the Settlement is “Finally Approved” and any challenges to that approval are finally resolved. The Court is scheduled to hold a Final Approval Hearing on June 22, 2026, to decide whether to approve the Settlement, and how much Attorneys’ Fees and Costs to award Class Counsel for representing the Settlement Class and Service Awards to the Class Representatives who brought this Action on behalf of the Settlement Class.

If the Court approves the Settlement, there may be appeals. It is always uncertain whether appeals will be filed and, if so, how long it will take to resolve them. Cash Payments will be distributed and Credit Monitoring enrollment opened as soon as possible, if and when the Court grants Final Approval of the Settlement and after any appeals are resolved.

The Lawyers Representing You

14. Do I have a lawyer in this case?

Yes, the Court appointed Jeff Ostrow and Kristen Cardoso of Kopelowitz Ostrow P.A. and Mariya Weekes of Milberg PLLC to represent you and other members of the Settlement Class as Class Counsel. You will not be charged directly for these lawyers; instead, the Defendant will pay their fees and costs (subject to Court approval) separate from the Cash Fund and Credit Monitoring costs.

If you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you may hire one at your own expense.

15. Should I get my own lawyer?

It is not necessary for you to hire your own lawyer because Class Counsel works for you. If you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you may hire one at your own expense.

16. How will the lawyers be paid?

Class Counsel will ask the Court to approve Attorneys’ Fees and Costs of up to $1,750,000.00, as well as $1,500.00 in Service Awards for the Class Representatives. If approved, these amounts will be paid by the Defendant separate from the Cash Fund and Credit Monitoring costs.

Excluding Yourself from the Settlement

17. How do I opt out of the Settlement?

If you do not want to receive any benefits from the Settlement and you want to keep your right to separately sue the Defendant about the legal issues in this case, you must take steps to exclude yourself from the Settlement Class. This is called “opting-out.” The Opt-Out Deadline, meaning the last day to file a request to opt-out of the Settlement is May 15, 2026.

To exclude yourself from the Settlement, you must submit a written request to opt-out of the Settlement Administrator that includes the following information:

• The case name and number, “Gregory Maricle, et al., v. SouthState Bank, N.A., Case No. CACE-2024CA-002530.”;

• Your name, address, telephone number, and email address (if any);

• A statement indicating that you want to be excluded from the Settlement Class, such as “I hereby request to opt-out from the proposed Settlement Class in ‘Gregory Maricle, et al., v. SouthState Bank, N.A., Case No. CACE-2024CA-002530.”;

• Your personal signature.

Your Request for Exclusion must be mailed to the Settlement Administrator at the address below, postmarked no later than May 15, 2026.

Gregory Maricle, et al., v. SouthState Bank, N.A.
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799

Objecting To The Settlement

18. How do I tell the Court if I do not like the Settlement?

If you are a Settlement Class Member, you can choose (but are not required) to object to the Settlement if you do not like it or a portion of it, whether that be to the Settlement Class Member Benefits, the request for Attorneys’ Fees and Costs, the Service Award payments, the Releases provided to the Defendant, or some other aspect of the Settlement. Through an objection, you give reasons why you think the Court should not approve the Settlement.

For an objection to be considered by the Court, the objection must include:

• Your full name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address (if any);

• The specific factual and legal grounds for the objection known to you or your counsel;

• The number of times you have filed an objection to any proposed class action settlement in the past five years, including the case name, court, and docket number of each case as well as a copy of any orders related to or ruling upon your prior objections that were issued by the trial and appellate courts in each listed case.

• All counsel representing you, including any former or current counsel who may be entitled to compensation for any reason related to the objection to the Settlement and/or Application for Attorneys’ Fees, Costs, and Service Awards;

• The number of times in which your counsel and/or counsel’s law firm have objected to a class action settlement within the past five years, including the case name, court and docket number of each case, and a copy of any orders related to or ruling upon counsel’s or the counsel’s law firm’s prior objections that were issued by the trial and appellate courts.

• Whether you or your counsel will appear at the Final Approval Hearing;

• A list of all persons who will be called to testify at the Final Approval Hearing in support of your objection (if any);

• A statement regarding whether you intend to personally appear and/or testify at the Final Approval Hearing; and

• Your signature (an attorney’s is not sufficient).

Note: Class Counsel and/or Defendant’s Counsel may conduct limited discovery on any objector or objector’s counsel. This includes taking depositions and requesting documents.

Objector’s or Objector’s counsel must fully and strictly comply with all requirements on the list above or the Court will not consider your objection. Objections must be filed with, or mailed to, the Court no later than May 15, 2026.

Circuit Court of the Tenth Judicial Circuit, Polk County, Florida
Polk County Courthouse
255 N. Broadway Ave.
Bartow, FL 33830-3912

A copy of your objection also must be mailed to Class Counsel, Defendant’s Counsel, and the Settlement Administrator at the addresses below, postmarked no later than May 15, 2026.

19. What is the difference between objecting and opting out?

Objecting is telling the Court that you do not like something about the Settlement. You can object to the Settlement only if you do not exclude yourself from it. Excluding yourself from the Settlement means telling the Court you do not want to be part of the Settlement. If you exclude yourself or opt out of the Settlement, you cannot object to it because the Settlement no longer affects you.

The Court’s Final Approval Hearing

20. When is the Court’s Final Approval Hearing?

The Court is scheduled to hold a Final Approval Hearing on June 22, 2026, at 10:15 a.m. ET, at the Circuit Court of the Tenth Judicial Circuit, Polk County, Florida, Polk County Courthouse, 255 N. Broadway, Ave., Bartow, FL 33830, to decide whether to approve the Settlement, how much Attorney’s Fees and Costs to award to Class Counsel for representing the Settlement Class, and whether to approve the Service Awards to the Class Representatives who brought this Action on behalf of the Settlement Class. The date and time of this hearing may change without further notice. Please check this website for updates.

21. Do I have to come to the Final Approval Hearing?

No. Class Counsel will answer any questions the Court may have. You may attend at your own expense. If you file an objection, you may but do not have to come to the Final Approval Hearing to talk about it. If you file your written objection on time and in accordance with the requirements above, the Court will consider it. You may also pay your own lawyer to attend, but it is not necessary.

If You Do Nothing

22. What happens if I do nothing at all?

If you are a Settlement Class Member and you do nothing, you will give up your right to start a lawsuit, continue a lawsuit, or be part of any other lawsuit against the Defendant and the Released Parties, as defined in the Settlement Agreement, about the issues resolved by this Settlement. In addition, you will be bound by the Releases in the Settlement and will not be eligible to receive a Cash Payment under the Settlement; but you will still be able to activate your unique Credit Monitoring code to receive the Credit Monitoring benefit.

Getting More Information

23. How do I get more information?

This website and the Notice summarize the proposed Settlement. Complete details are provided in the Settlement Agreement. The Settlement Agreement and other related documents are available on the Important Documents page.

If you have additional questions or need to update your address, you may contact the Settlement Administrator by phone at (888) 232-0977, or by mail:

Gregory Maricle, et al., v. SouthState Bank, N.A.
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799

Please do not contact the Court or Defendants.