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I just got a check in the mail for a little over $50 today. I found the settlement agreement documents on the internet, but was still afraid it was a scam. I found the bank the check is written on, Towne Bank. It is a real bank. I also noticed the envelope it came in stated postage was paid by, Rust Consulting Inc. I then looked them up, they have a website. I then went to my personal bank to cash the check. They told me to wait until Monday so they could verify the funds and make sure it is a real check. If I were to deposit the check and it come back returned, then I would lose $35. Also the check does not have the watermark on the back as stated on the bottom. I am sure it is all real. But before you deposit the check into your account, I would make sure you verify funds on the account : Towne Bank 757-638-7500. Of course the bank will do this also. I would not deposit it if possible, cash it on a business day. I also had a question for anyone that can answer...If this company is putting aside millions of dollars, will we be getting anymore checks? Also, if we were denied employment over this, will we be notified? And closing, did anyone even receive any documentation letting you know this was even going on? I did not. Thank you.

I received a check in the mail today as well. Some time in February, I received a letter stating that there was a class action law suit due to an illegal background search. Lexis Nexis Risk Management did a background check on me for a modeling gig back in 2007 and reported to my agent that I had a background. Although that was incorrect, I still wasn't able to do the job. Yes it is a legal lawsuit and yes the check is real. If you want to be on the safe side, either cash it at a check cashing company, or just deposit it in your bank and wait for it to clear before you withdraw any money. It's not a large amount, so you can wait for it all to clear and it shouldn't take any longer than 7 business days.

What do you mean "just to be safe cash it at a check cashing place" I own a check cashing store and if the check comes back for any reason you are still held responsible.

At first we did think this was a scam, but upon further inspection the checks are legit and we are cashing them with no problems.

In the UK if you are sued for a debt under £25K ( for arguments sake $43K+/- at today's rates) the postperson delivers a form with details of the claim plus a form which asks the Debtor 1) Do you admit/dispute the claim (?) 2) if the debt is admittted do you want to offer terms for payment (short of 100% or instalments over a period). If you admit the debt and offer instalments the form goes back to the Creditor who can either accept or decline.If they decline you can apply to the Court to ask the Judge to decide (on paper) whether the offer is reasonable. If he/she says "Yes it is " the Judgement is entered on those terms, This may not help you if you are in the US but I cannot imagine you do not have a somewhat similar system.Can you not call the Court Office to get advice on procedure They will not advise on whether the debt is valid etc. but should be able to tell you what your options are.

I remember when I got the notice in the mail a little over a year ago. I signed and sent back to be included in the class action - It is for real.

Thanks so much for the answers, I do remember sending in the paperwork. Before that I had applied for quite a few jobs and of course had credit and background checks run.

It's for real...50 bucks is 50 bucks

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1. What is the lawsuit about?

The Plaintiffs in this lawsuit said that LexisNexis Risk Management Inc. ("LNRM") violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act ("FCRA"), making two allegations:

In Count Two of their Amended Class Complaint, they alleged that LNRM would not investigate disputed information in consumer reports it prepared unless the consumer filled out a form and provided two forms of identification (the "Count Two Class"); and

In Count Four of their Amended Class Complaint, they alleged that LNRM sent public record consumer reports to employers or potential employers that may have contained information that likely would have a negative effect on the consumer's ability to obtain employment without notifying the consumer before or at the same time that the report was issued (the "Count Four Class").

2. What was LNRM's response to the allegations?

LNRM denies that it did anything wrong. LNRM says that its policy requiring a consumer to fill out a form and provide two forms of identification before it conducts an investigation is a reasonable precaution to prevent fraud or identity theft. It also says that its policy is to notify consumers within a reasonable time, usually 1-2 business days, after issuing consumer reports. To see LNRM's Answer to the Amended Class Complaint, click here.

3. Why was this a class action?

In a class action, one or more people, called Class Representatives (in this case Lisa D. Williams, Stephen L. Sanders, Eric L. Cox, Kinesha Allen, Sandra Bennett and Doltris Mathews), sue on behalf of people who have similar claims. All of these people are a Class or Class Members. One court resolves the issues for all Class Members, except for those who exclude themselves from the Class.

4. Why was there a settlement?

Both sides agreed to a settlement to avoid the costs and risks of a lengthy trial and appeals process. The Class Representatives and the attorneys representing the Class believed the proposed settlement was best for everyone who was affected.

5. Why did Class Counsel recommend the settlement?

Class Counsel recommended the settlement to avoid the risks of a lengthy trial and appeals process. Moreover, Class Counsel believed that the settlement provided substantial benefits to the Class Members. If the case were to go to trial, there was a chance that Class Members would not receive anything. The Court found the settlement to be fair and reasonable.

6. What benefits did the settlement provide?

For the Count Two Class, LNRM agreed to create a settlement fund of $1,770,000. The settlement fund will be distributed to Count Two Class members after the effective date of the settlement. Each Class Member will receive an equal amount, but no Class Member will receive more than $1,000. Any money remaining in the settlement fund after payment to all Class Members will be donated to a nonprofit organization agreed to by Plaintiffs and LNRM.

For the Count Four Class, LNRM agreed to create a settlement fund of $19,000,000. Payments will be made to Class Members after the effective date of the settlement. This settlement fund includes all attorneys' fees and costs, and payments to Class Representatives, approved by the Court. Any money remaining in the fund after all payments to Class Members, the payment of approved attorneys' fees and costs, and approved payments to Class Representatives, will be donated to a nonprofit organization agreed to by Plaintiffs and LNRM. The Court found the above benefits to be fair and reasonable and approved the settlement on June 25, 2008.

7. Who are the attorneys representing the Class?

The Court approved the following attorneys as Class Counsel:

Michael A. Caddell, Cynthia B. Chapman, and Richard D. Daly of Caddell & Chapman, 1331 Lamar, Suite 1070, Houston, Texas 77010;

Leonard A. Bennett of Consumer Litigation Associates, 12515 Warwick Boulevard, Suite 100, Newport News, Virginia 23606; and

Christopher Colt North, 751 A Thimble Shoals Boulevard, Newport News, Virginia 23606.

8. How much were Class Counsel and the Class Representatives paid?

For the Count Two Class, Class Counsel asked the Court to award attorneys' fees and expenses up to $523,000 for their time and effort in investigating and litigating this case. Class Counsel also asked the Court to approve an incentive award of $250 to each of the Class Representatives for the time and resources they have put into representing the Count Two Class in this litigation.

For the Count Four Class, Class Counsel asked the Court to award attorneys' fees and expenses in an amount not to exceed 27.5% of the settlement fund for their time and effort in investigating and litigating this case. Class Counsel also asked the Court to approve an incentive award of $250 to each of the Class Representatives for

Spill chucker? You, sir, need the spell checker. And way to not answer the question at all.....

i also got the same check.......my question is........Where would i have been employed for this to take place.......i have had so many jobs that i have no idea........