Maybe you got a boring slip of paper in the mail. Maybe you got a spammy-looking email promising you money. Surprise! You're in a class action. If you've done any commerce in the last decade, there's a good chance that someone somewhere was suing on your behalf and you have real money coming your way... if you know what to do. Class action settlements are on the rise. And, on today's show, we're helping decipher the class action from the perspective of the average class member. How do class actions work? Why are these notices sometimes undecipherable? And, what do you stand to gain (or lose) by responding? This episode was hosted by Kenny Malone and Nick Fountain. It was produced by James Sneed with help from Sam Yellowhorse Kesler. It was edited by Jess Jiang and fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. Engineering by Cena Loffredo. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer. Help support Planet Money and hear our bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
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This is Planet Money from nPrdez.
The other day I get this email sent from, quote, noreplysfdiscountsettlement.com.
the opening line is your unique voucher code may be applied for up to $5 at shutterfly.com comma, one of those sites that lets you put photos on mugs and lots of other things.
And if I want more information, well, there is a link I can click on.
Now look, at this point in my life, NPR has made me take like a dozen cybersecurity trainings that have taught me to a never connect to public Wi Fi networks, b not plug an unknown USB drive into my computer, and c never, never click on links from emails that promise me money so I do not click the link for more information.
And instead.
Yes, hello, can you hear me?
Yes, I can hear you.
Okay.
I call up professor of law at Georgetown, Maria Glover.
It's probably overstating it to say you are a czar of class action knowledge.
But I don't know that I'll declare myself KInG just yet, but definitely know a lot.
Yes, Maria knows a lot about class action lawsuits because that sketchy email, it claimed to be money from a class action settlement called Rivoli v.
Shutterfly.
The email didn't say how I was involved or actually what Shutterfly had allegedly done.
That's why I called Maria, though, and she tells me she's used to people being weirded out when they get something like this.