A new class action lawsuit claims that a massive AT&T data breach affected not only AT&T subscribers but also customers of other wireless providers using AT&T’s network, including Verizon and T-Mobile. Plaintiffs Debbie Hale and Nick Margeas, who were customers of those companies, allege that hackers accessed call and text records between 2022 and 2023, putting them and others at risk. The lawsuit says AT&T failed to disclose that non-AT&T customers were impacted by the breach.
The plaintiffs claim that the data breach, announced by AT&T in July 2023, did not mention that customers of other companies had their data compromised. Hale, a Verizon customer, and Margeas, a T-Mobile customer, allege that their call and text records were stolen, leaving them vulnerable to blackmail and emotional distress. They are now seeking redress for the emotional and potential financial harm caused by the breach.
The lawsuit argues that AT&T had a responsibility to protect customer data but failed to take sufficient steps to prevent this breach, despite having faced a similar incident earlier in 2023. The plaintiffs note that the company revealed another data breach in March, which affected 73 million customers, demonstrating a repeated failure in data security practices.
As a result of the data breach, affected individuals are concerned about identity theft, fraud, and other malicious activities. The lawsuit seeks compensation and action to mitigate the damage caused by the breach, urging AT&T to enhance its data protection measures. Hale and Margeas filed the lawsuit on behalf of non-AT&T wireless customers who were affected by the breach between May 2022 and January 2023.
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