The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →The widely reported $5.6 million Ring payment was real, but it was not a new 2026 settlement and it was not paid to every Ring customer. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced in April 2024 that it had sent more than $5.6 million through PayPal to 117,044 eligible consumers. The payments came from a 2023 FTC settlement requiring Ring to provide $5.8 million in consumer redress.
According to the FTC’s July 2026 Ring refund update, follow-up payments are being sent through Zelle to eligible people who did not accept earlier checks or PayPal payments. That is different from opening a new claims period.
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What the Ring settlement was about
This was an FTC enforcement settlement, not simply a private class-action lawsuit. The court-entered order on June 16, 2023 required Ring to pay $5.8 million for consumer redress, delete certain improperly retained videos and establish a comprehensive privacy and security program.
The FTC’s complaint and consumer guidance described a combination of alleged privacy and security failures:
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- Employees and contractors allegedly had overly broad access to customers’ stored videos.
- The FTC alleged that Ring used customer videos to train algorithms without obtaining consent.
- Ring allegedly lacked adequate safeguards against credential-stuffing and brute-force attacks.
- The FTC alleged that Ring failed to adequately monitor and detect unauthorized access.
- The complaint said stored video data was not encrypted until August 2019.
- The FTC also alleged that employee and contractor privacy training was inadequate.
These historical conduct details come from the FTC’s complaint and should be understood as allegations in that filing, rather than a finding that every Ring account was compromised.
The case therefore involved more than a conventional stolen-database “data breach.” It concerned alleged insider access to private footage, alleged use of videos for product development, and alleged external attacks on customer accounts and cameras.
How many Ring accounts were allegedly affected?
The FTC complaint said that more than 55,000 U.S. customers experienced credential-stuffing or brute-force attacks between January 2019 and March 2020. The FTC said those attacks exposed hundreds of thousands of videos from private spaces, including bedrooms and children’s bedrooms.
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- At least 910 U.S. accounts, involving approximately 1,250 devices, experienced more invasive access.
- About 500 of those devices were indoor or Stick Up Cams.
- In at least 20 cases, attackers retained unauthorized access for more than a month.
- Hackers used two-way camera features to harass, threaten or insult customers, including children and elderly people.
Those figures describe what the FTC alleged in its complaint. They do not mean that all Ring customers, all Ring cameras or all Ring videos were involved.
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- Zoom in up to 6x — Catch details at a distance, inspect faces, and more with up to 6x Enhanced Zoom.
- Connect to who’s there — See, hear, and speak in real time with Live View and Two-Way Talk.
- Get real-time alerts — Receive real-time notifications on your phone when motion is detected.
- Easily recharge — Simply insert the included removal tool to detach your doorbell from the wall, then recharge the built-in battery via USB-C. (Cable not included.)
Who received the $5.6 million in refunds?
The FTC said it sent 117,044 PayPal payments in April 2024 to consumers who had certain Ring devices—such as indoor cameras—during periods when unauthorized users allegedly could have accessed their videos.
Eligibility depended on factors including the device category, account history and relevant time period. Owning a Ring doorbell or another Ring product by itself did not guarantee eligibility.
The initial FTC announcement said recipients had 30 days to redeem their PayPal payments. It did not establish one universal payment amount for every recipient, so consumers should rely on the amount stated in their official notice rather than online estimates.
Why the numbers are easy to confuse
| Amount or figure | What it refers to |
|---|---|
| $5.8 million | The consumer-redress amount required by the court-entered 2023 FTC order. |
| More than $5.6 million | The amount the FTC announced it was distributing through 117,044 PayPal refunds in April 2024. |
| More than $5.4 million | The amount the FTC said was distributed in a later refund round in August 2025. |
| $5.6 million to every Ring customer | Incorrect. The money was divided among eligible consumers. |
Ring settlement timeline
- May 31, 2023: The FTC announced its complaint and proposed settlement with Ring.
- June 16, 2023: The court-entered order required $5.8 million in consumer redress and imposed privacy and security obligations.
- April 23, 2024: The FTC announced more than $5.6 million in PayPal refunds to 117,044 eligible consumers.
- August 2025: The FTC said a later refund round produced more than $5.4 million in refunds.
- July 2026: The FTC said it was sending Zelle payments to eligible people who did not accept earlier payments.
Can you still file a new Ring claim?
The FTC’s current information describes replacement or follow-up payments for people already identified as eligible—not a newly opened, general claims process for anyone who owned a Ring product.
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If you did not receive an earlier notice, do not assume that you qualify or that a new claim window is available. Check the FTC’s official Ring Refunds page for the latest instructions. Payment methods and administrative procedures can change.
The Ring FTC proceeding should also not be confused with a separate California class-action settlement concerning Ring Protect Plans. That proceeding had a claim deadline of May 22, 2025 and was not the source of the $5.6 million FTC refunds. Its notice is available here.
How to verify a legitimate Ring refund
Refund announcements can attract phishing attempts. The FTC says it does not require consumers to pay money to receive a refund, and it does not demand transfers, threaten consumers or require payment-card information to release funds.
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According to the FTC’s July 2026 page, current follow-up payments are being sent through Zelle and deposited directly into the recipient’s bank account. The payment includes a note identifying it as related to the settlement. Verify those details independently through the FTC’s refund page rather than trusting an unsolicited message.
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- Zoom in up to 6x — Catch details at a distance, inspect faces, and more with up to 6x Enhanced Zoom.
- Connect to who’s there — See, hear, and speak in real time with Live View and Two-Way Talk.
- Get real-time alerts — Receive real-time notifications on your phone when motion is detected.
- Easily recharge — Simply insert the included removal tool to detach your doorbell from the wall, then recharge the built-in battery via USB-C. (Cable not included.)
Treat a message as suspicious if it:
- Requests a processing, release or verification fee.
- Asks you to buy gift cards or cryptocurrency.
- Requires you to send money to unlock the refund.
- Requests your password, full banking credentials or unrelated sensitive information.
- Uses a link that does not lead to an official FTC or verified payment-provider page.
- Pressures you to act immediately.
For questions about Ring payments, the FTC identifies the refund administrator as Rust Consulting. The listed phone number is 1-833-637-4884. Use the number published on the official FTC page and be cautious with contact details supplied only in an unsolicited email or text.
What Ring was required to do
Under the court-entered order, Ring was required to provide $5.8 million in consumer redress, delete certain videos that were improperly retained and establish a comprehensive privacy and security program. The order is the source of those obligations; it is separate from the later announcements describing how refunds were distributed.
The settlement does not establish that current Ring products remain vulnerable, nor does it mean that every historical allegation applies to every device or account.
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The FTC complaint said Ring offered two-factor authentication in May 2019, but fewer than 2% of customers had adopted it that year. Regardless of the historical figures, smart-camera owners can reduce account risk by:
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- Using a long, unique password for the camera account.
- Enabling multifactor authentication wherever the service offers it.
- Reviewing account-sharing permissions and removing former users.
- Deleting unused devices and checking which cameras remain linked to the account.
- Installing firmware and mobile-app updates promptly.
- Limiting indoor-camera placement when a camera is not necessary.
- Reviewing whether cloud video storage is needed for every camera.
Ring’s app labels and menu paths may change, so consult the current in-app security and device-access controls rather than relying on an old screenshot or menu name.
What to consider if you are choosing a camera system
If the settlement has made you reconsider a camera system, evaluate the specific model and service—not just the brand. Important questions include:
- Is video stored locally, in the cloud or in both places?
- Is end-to-end encryption available, and which features does it disable?
- Does the service support multifactor authentication?
- Can you remove users and permanently delete recordings?
- How long will the manufacturer provide firmware updates?
- Are employee, vendor and law-enforcement access policies clearly explained?
- Does basic recording or alert functionality require a subscription?
- Will the system continue functioning if the internet connection fails?
Local storage is not automatically secure: the recorder, mobile app and remote-access features can still create risks. Likewise, a password manager can help you create unique credentials but cannot fix a camera company’s server-side privacy practices.
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Bottom line
The Ring payment story is legitimate, but the headline needs context. The $5.6 million figure describes refunds the FTC announced in April 2024. The underlying court-entered order required Ring to provide $5.8 million in consumer redress in 2023, and the FTC’s July 2026 update describes later follow-up payments through Zelle for eligible people who missed earlier payments. Not every Ring owner qualified, and readers should verify any payment through the official FTC refund page without paying a fee or sharing a password.
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