Is the Hawk Marketplace Facebook Settlement Email Legit?

Yes, the Hawk Marketplace Facebook settlement email is legitimate. It’s the payout notice sent to claimants in the $725 million Facebook consumer privacy settlement who chose a virtual prepaid Mastercard as their payment method. The email comes from “Facebook User Privacy Settlement at hawkmarketplace.com” and contains a unique reward code you use to redeem your card.¹

Why the Email Comes From Hawk Marketplace

Angeion Group is the court-appointed administrator for the settlement, but it doesn’t issue the prepaid cards itself. About 28% of the roughly 19 million approved claimants picked a prepaid Mastercard as their payout method, and for those recipients Angeion works with a prepaid card provider identified in court filings as Blackhawk.² Blackhawk Network issues roughly one billion prepaid cards each year and fulfills over $4 billion in rewards.³ Hawk Marketplace is the consumer-facing brand it uses to deliver those virtual card rewards.

So the email arrives from hawkmarketplace.com rather than the settlement site’s own domain. WGAL News 8 confirmed the emails are legitimate and described Hawk Marketplace as a company that distributes payments for reward programs.¹ Hawk Marketplace also handles prepaid card payouts for other class actions, including the Tyler v. Hennepin County tax-forfeiture settlement in Minnesota.⁴

Claimants who chose a different payment method receive their notice from a different address. Direct deposit, PayPal, Venmo, and Zelle recipients typically see emails from donotreply@facebookuserprivacysettlement.com, and some communications have come from facebookuserprivacysettlement@notifications.kroll.com.⁵⁶ If you picked a prepaid card, hawkmarketplace.com is what you’ll see.

What’s in the Email and How To Redeem the Card

A real Hawk Marketplace email contains instructions for accessing your virtual prepaid card funds, a unique reward code near the bottom, and a green button or box linking to the redemption page.¹ After you redeem the code, the virtual Mastercard can be used in several ways:

Online, anywhere Mastercard is accepted.
Added to Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, or a similar mobile wallet for in-store tap-to-pay.
In-store at merchants willing to key in the 16-digit card number, expiration date, and CVV.
Cashed out by ACH transfer to a bank account, or sent through Zelle, PayPal, or Venmo.
Converted to a physical plastic card for a $3 fee.

The virtual balance expires 24 months after issue and can be re-issued as a new virtual card at no cost. A $0.95 monthly inactivity fee begins after 12 straight months without use, but using the card even once resets that clock and reimburses any fee already deducted.⁷

How To Tell a Real Email From a Scam

The unfamiliar branding has caused genuine confusion, and at least one hawkmarketplace.com email was flagged on the BBB’s Scam Tracker as a suspected phishing attempt.⁷ A few checks separate a genuine notice from a fake:

Did you file a claim? The deadline was August 25, 2023. If you never filed, any email about a payout is a scam.⁸
A real notice references your specific claim and includes your unique claimant ID.⁶
Legitimate settlement emails never ask for your Social Security number, bank login, Facebook password, or an upfront fee.⁹
Real payouts fall roughly between $5 and $38. Promises of hundreds of dollars are a red flag.⁸
If in doubt, don’t click the link. Type facebookuserprivacysettlement.com into your browser and use the FAQ, or email info@facebookuserprivacysettlement.com with your claim ID.¹⁰

How Much the Payment Should Be and When It Arrives

Nearly 29 million claims were filed before the August 2023 deadline, and just over 19 million were approved.¹¹ After fees and costs, about $540 million was available to distribute.¹² Each claimant earned one allocation point per month their Facebook account was active during the class period of May 24, 2007, through December 22, 2022. First-round payouts ran from $4.89 to $38.36, averaging $29.43.¹⁰

The first round began going out on September 3, 2025, following a court order dated August 27, 2025, distributed in batches over about 10 weeks.¹¹¹³¹² Eligible recipients get an email notice three to four days before their specific payment is issued.¹⁴

If your email checks out against the tests above and the amount lines up with those ranges, it’s the real thing. Redeem the code, add the card to a wallet or transfer the balance to your bank, and note the 24-month expiration.

1
WGAL News 8. Facebook Settlement Emails Confirmed Legitimate
2
The Recorder. Suits Against Claims Administrators Throw Wrench Into Facebook’s $725M Privacy Settlement
3
Blackhawk Network. Blackhawk Network
4
MN Tax Forfeiture Settlement. Tyler v. Hennepin County Settlement
5
CBS News. Facebook Privacy Settlement Payments, Payout
6
Fox News. Facebook Settlement Scam Emails to Avoid Now
7
BBB Scam Tracker. Scam Tracker Report 1118866
8
WILX. Facebook Settlement Payments: Legit or Scam
9
KOB News. Facebook Settlement Email: What the Tech
10
The Hill. Haven’t Gotten a Facebook Settlement Check? Here’s What to Do
11
CNN. Facebook Settlement Payments
12
Yahoo Finance. Facebook User Privacy Settlement Payment
13
CBS News. Facebook User Privacy Settlement Second Check
14
NBC Chicago. Some Users May Get a Second Facebook Settlement Check