Scott Cole & Associates Files Class Action Lawsuit Against Equifax for Data Breach

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Scott Cole, class action veteran and founder of Oakland-based Scott Cole & Associates, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit against credit reporting agency Equifax for "negligence, violations of fair credit reporting and deceptive business practices" in light of its recent high-profile data breach.

The personal information – including names, addresses and Social Security numbers – of at least 140 million and up to 175 million Americans, may have been compromised in the massive data breach announced by Equifax on September 7, but known to the company since July. The suit was filed in the San Jose division of the United States District Court on Tuesday, September 12 and is seeking class action status on behalf of Andrew Galpern and "all others similarly situated."

Equifax handles the personal information of more than 820 million people worldwide, as well as 91 million companies and employee information of over seven thousand employers. Equifax data has been breached on at least four separate occasions prior to the current scandal, dating back to a breach in April 2013 in which customer credit reports were compromised until January 2014.

The suit alleges that Equifax engaged in "reckless conduct… by failing to secure and safeguard consumers' personally identifiable information" and that the hacking of their data – by far the biggest hacking instance in Equifax history – occurred as a result of Equifax's "sub-par cyber security controls."  While also alleging that Equifax "failed to take industry standard steps to protect the data," Scott Cole & Associates is seeking a change of practice and compensation for those affected.

"This was a breach of epic proportions and exhibits a level of recklessness that never should have occurred," says Cole. "That Equifax kept evidence of this breach from consumers for even a few days is a jaw-dropping revelation. What cyber-criminals can do with that scope of data, even within hours, is devastating. Our attorneys are passionate about protecting consumers' rights. Taking aggressive steps to remedy this kind of conduct is in our DNA."

The breach, which started in mid-May and lasted until July, was known to Equifax since July 29, but was not announced until September 7, and only then in a relatively passive way. "People have very natural and serious concerns about how their personal identifying information is being used," Cole notes. "To the thousands of consumers who have already voiced their interest in our lawsuit, and to the millions of others who still worry, my advice is to be vigilant, check your statements and reports often, and get informed. We are here to help."

ABOUT SCOTT COLE & ASSOCIATES
Since its inception in 1992, Scott Cole & Associates has litigated countless matters against businesses of all types, and in nearly every industry imaginable. It engages in California-based and nationwide litigation as a well-known and widely-respected member of the country's legal community. For well over two decades, the firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for countless workers and consumers, has been involved in record-setting resolutions and corrected numerous unlawful employment and consumer fraud practices.

SOURCE Scott Cole & Associates

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