Southern Company says an unauthorized third party accessed limited customer information through its online portal, affecting about 400,000 Georgia Power and Alabama Power accounts.
Read your notice, enroll in the free Equifax credit monitoring and freeze your credit. You can also share your experience through the form on this page.
No. Credit monitoring and credit freezes are free, and there is no cost to ask questions or learn about your options.
None yet. Proposed class actions are pending, and any payout would depend on a settlement or court ruling.
Southern Company, the parent of Georgia Power, Alabama Power and Mississippi Power, says an unauthorized third party got into its online customer portal and viewed customer account information. According to reporting from FOX 5 Atlanta and ABC 33/40, about 400,000 customer accounts were affected, roughly 300,000 at Georgia Power and 100,000 at Alabama Power.
The exposed details include names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and the last four digits of Social Security numbers. Lawsuits have already been filed. This guide explains what happened, who is affected, what the lawsuits claim and what you can do right now.
Quick answer
As of October 31, 2026, Southern Company has confirmed the portal breach and is offering one year of free Equifax credit monitoring. Proposed class actions are pending in federal court, but there is no settlement and no claim form yet. If you are a Georgia Power or Alabama Power customer, enroll in the monitoring and freeze your credit.
Southern Company told the press it recently detected suspicious activity involving its customer portal and took immediate steps to stop the unauthorized access. The company said it notified law enforcement, started an investigation and has found no evidence of continued unauthorized access.
The incident was disclosed in early October 2026 and covered by local outlets on October 5. The company has not publicly said how the third party got in or exactly how long the access lasted. Details may change as the investigation continues. Read the full coverage from ABC 33/40.
Southern Company reported about 400,000 affected accounts. The count is for accounts, not people, so the number of individuals could be different.
| Utility | Accounts affected |
|---|---|
| Georgia Power | About 300,000 |
| Alabama Power | About 100,000 |
| Mississippi Power | Named in the notice, no count given |
| Total reported | About 400,000 |
The company says the information involved was limited. A ClassAction.org report also lists the last four digits of business tax ID numbers as possibly exposed for business accounts.
A full Social Security number was not reported as exposed, but names, phone numbers, emails and partial Social Security digits are exactly what scammers use to build convincing messages. Expect phishing that pretends to come from your utility. Our guide to class action settlement scams shows how these tricks work.
Yes. FOX 5 Atlanta reports that a Georgia customer filed a proposed class action against Southern Company in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on October 21, and that it is at least the third proposed class action filed in federal court this month over the incident. The suit says the company failed to adequately protect customer information, including by not using stronger encryption and not better identifying potential threats. It seeks damages, attorney fees and costs and asks for a jury trial.
Important: These are allegations only. No court has decided the claims, no class has been certified and Southern Company has not agreed to pay anything. Do not trust any message offering to claim settlement money for a fee.
You do not have to sign up. In a proposed class action, people whose information was exposed are potential class members by default. If the court certifies a class or the company settles, official notice will explain your options and any deadline. Learn more in our guide on what a class action lawsuit is and how to join a class action lawsuit.
If you received a breach notice, you can also complete the form on this page to share your experience. It costs nothing to ask questions or learn about your options.
It is too early to say. There is no settlement and no payout figure. In data breach settlements, money usually goes to class members who file a claim, and the amount depends on the size of the class and what the company agrees to pay. See how class action settlements work and class action settlement payouts for the usual process.
Tip: Your utility will not ask for your full Social Security number, a card number or a gift card by phone, text or email. If a message about this breach pushes you to act fast, hang up and call the number on your bill.
The pending cases may be combined or moved forward together, and the company will likely ask the court to dismiss them. Notification letters are still going out, and Southern Company may share more about the cause and scope. We will update this page when the court rules or a settlement is announced. See other active claims in our list of open class action settlements.
Southern Company says it is notifying affected customers by mail or email using the contact details on their account. The company reported that about 400,000 accounts were affected across Georgia Power and Alabama Power. If you have an account with Georgia Power, Alabama Power or Mississippi Power and received no notice, check your spam folder and ask your utility directly.
Not in full, according to the company. Southern Company reported that only the last four digits of Social Security numbers were exposed, along with names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses. Bank account numbers, payment card numbers and driver's license numbers were reported as not accessed.
Yes. Reports say at least three proposed class actions were filed in federal court in October 2026, including Hill v. The Southern Company in the Northern District of Georgia. The allegations have not been proven and no class has been certified.
You do not need to sign up to be part of a proposed class action. If a court certifies a class or a settlement is reached, official notice will explain who is covered and how to claim. Affected customers can also talk to a data breach lawyer about their own options.
No. As of October 31, 2026 there is no settlement, no claim form and no payout. Anyone asking you to pay a fee to claim Southern Company settlement money is running a scam.
No one knows yet. Payouts in data breach settlements depend on the size of the class, the strength of the claims and what the company agrees to pay, and they are often split among many people. Read how class action settlement payouts work for the usual structure.
Yes. Southern Company is offering affected customers one year of free credit monitoring through Equifax. Use the enrollment instructions in your notice and only sign up through the official link or number in that letter or email.
Read the notice, enroll in the free credit monitoring, place a free credit freeze with the three credit bureaus, watch your utility and bank statements, and treat unexpected calls, texts or emails about your account as possible scams. Keep a copy of the notice in case a claims process opens.
Sources: FOX 5 Atlanta, ABC 33/40, OpenClassActions, ClassAction.org. This page is for information only and is not legal advice.