By: John Matarese , Emily Hanford-Ostmann

You've probably seen ads or emails saying you could get money from a class action lawsuit — like the recent Facebook privacy settlement.

But are those claims really worth your time, and how can you tell what's legitimate?

Homeowner Jorge Selva said he received a trio of class action settlement notices in a single month.

"One of them was for my Apple Watch. Another was for a cable company that leaked my information. The other one was for a car I used to own," Selva said.

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Some even included checks for about $25, which made him think twice.

"I'm starting to get hit with these a lot. It just started to drive a little bit of my suspicion on which ones are legitimate and which ones aren't," Selva said.

Watch as an expert shows how to know if that check in the mail is legit:

Class action settlements: Real or fake?

How to know a settlement notice is real

To check if a class action notice is legitimate, LegalShield provider attorney Eileen Spangrud of Davis Miles PLLC said to look for a few key details:

• The name of the case
• The court handling it
• The attorneys
• How to contact the attorneys
• The official settlement website

"That settlement website should also have very detailed information about how you can join that class," Spangrud said. "If it's something that is really sparse on details, that would possibly be a red flag."

Why submit a claim

Spangrud said class actions help hold companies accountable, so even small payouts can be worth claiming.

"If it is something that's relatively easy to do, maybe five or ten minutes, you've got the receipts, I would say there's not a downside to submitting that," Spangrud said.

Keep in mind that if you stay a member of the class, you give up your right to sue separately.

"If you think that you might want to opt out, you want to make sure that you do that timely so that it doesn't affect any of your future legal options," Spangrud said.

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When submitting a claim, Spangrud also warns:

• You should never pay fees to get a settlement
• Any request for your Social Security number or bank account information is suspicious

When in doubt, she said contact an attorney.

"Because we are trained to know what to look for," Spangrud said.

Active class action settlements currently include Amazon Prime, Fanatics, Equifax and Circle K, just to name a few. The site ClassAction.org lists thousands of open class action lawsuit settlements and rebates.

As for Selva, he said he just wants to know the checks showing up at his house are the real deal.

"I didn't cash it; I didn't want to take the risk," he said.

Your share of a settlement may only be $10 or $20. But by not submitting a claim, you get nothing at all. Just be sure a lawsuit is real before sharing personal details, so you don't waste your money.

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