City of Hayward data breach: you may be owed a payment

What to do after the letter

1. Confirm the notice is genuine

   A legitimate City of Hayward notice references the specific incident reported to the MD Attorney General and describes which categories of your information were involved. Compare the letter against the public filing before acting on any links or phone numbers it contains.

2. Keep the letter — it is your proof of connection

   The notification letter is the document that ties your personal information to this incident. Keep the original and photograph it. If you later request a case review, this letter is the strongest evidence that you were among the affected individuals.

3. Protect your accounts and credit

   Depending on what was exposed, consider a free credit freeze with all three bureaus, new passwords for reused credentials, and monitoring of financial statements. These steps are free and do not require you to wait for anyone's permission.

4. Find out whether you have a claim

   Whether the City of Hayward breach gives you a legal claim depends on the facts. A free, no-obligation case review will tell you where you stand — there is no cost and no commitment to find out.