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What to Do if Your Data Has Been Stolen

As more and more of the world shifts online during the COVID-19 pandemic, data security has become a chief concern.  Any time you supply personal and/or financial information online, whether to pay bills, to make purchases, or to utilize online medical services, you are entrusting these companies to safeguard your identity.  Bad actors are constantly looking to take advantage your important data.

The burdens of falling victim to a data breach can be wide-reaching, from lost money to difficulty applying to receive unemployment benefits and other COVID-related relief to adverse effects on your credit score to theft of tax refunds.  These burdens can also take months if not years to manifest.  It can often feel overwhelming, not even knowing where to begin to look for help.

This is where the attorneys of Anderson + Wanca can help.

If you believe you may have been a victim of a data breach, let our experienced attorneys evaluate your situation and possible legal claims.  Even if you have been notified by the affected company directly, you may still have legal options for their failure to safeguard your data.

These options can include the financial reimbursement that is necessary to get your life back on track. You can reach us via our secure submission form at investigation@andersonwanca.com to set up a consultation.  Just provide us with your name, email address, and a brief description of what happened.  Consultations are always free and we look forward to hearing from you.

Remember:  getting notified of a data breach is often only the first step.

Other important things to do after contacting Anderson + Wanca:

  • Change your passwords:  This prevents repeated access to your data and is especially important if you use the same password for multiple accounts.  Consider using a password manager or setting up two-factor authentication for added security.
  • Monitor your bank statements and credit score for unusual activity:  Do not rely on your financial institutions to catch fraudulent charges.
  • Alert your bank if you believe your financial data has been compromised: It is easier to proactively prevent losses than to attempt to recoup them after the fact.

Major Universities Face Class Action Suits Over Lack of Tuition Refunds

As the coronavirus pandemic swept across the United States, many universities closed their campuses to students.  These actions were an appropriate response to the necessity of social distancing and limiting large gatherings.  The result of these actions was that students found themselves in the lurch for the remainder of the spring semester.  Most schools transitioned their student bodies to online instruction, hoping to offer a facsimile of the on-campus experience.  However, many students have found these offerings lacking when compared to the on-campus experience.

Students, many of whom paid tens of thousands of dollars in tuition and other associated fees, found themselves hoping for a reasonable refund since the schools were no longer providing the services they paid for.  Unfortunately, many universities have provided inadequate relief, arguing that the (often hastily assembled) online learning experience has been comparable.  Many students find this difficult to accept, particularly those whose fields of study rely heavily on in-person instructions in labs and studios.  The same education is simply not possible when done online.

As a result of this failure to provide refunds for tuition and fees, a number of universities (including Loyola University, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Miami, and Drexel University) have found themselves as named Defendants in class action lawsuits seeking fair and reasonable refunds for the affected students.

If you or someone you know was enrolled in a college or university for on-campus instruction in the Spring 2020 semester and were forced to settle for online education and would like to explore your legal options for getting a refund of tuition and other associated fees, we want to hear from you! 

Please our contact form or reach us by phone at (855) 827-2329 for a free, no obligation consultation. 

Anderson + Wanca is a leading consumer protection law firm and we are here to help ensure that your rights are protected during this challenging time.

Anderson+Wanca Secures $15,000,000 Settlement in Spam Text Litigation

Customers may know Tilly’s as a shopping mall staple selling clothes and shoes for a southern California lifestyle.  But the chain, with over 200 stores nationwide, got a little too aggressive in trying to recruit new and returning customers and ran afoul of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). 

Tilly’s denies these allegations but still entered into a nationwide settlement that brought direct relief to over 615,000 people who received an unsolicited text message.

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act was initially passed by Congress in 1991, to give consumers legal options to stop the onslaught of telemarketing calls to their household phones.  The statute has been amended numerous times and now applies to cell phones and text messages as well.

In November of 2016, class representative Lauren Minniti and over 615,000 other individuals received a text message offering “10% off your entire purchase + promo alerts from TILLYS?”  Ms. Minniti filed a class action lawsuit with Anderson+Wanca on behalf of all those who were affected.

After almost a year and a half of litigation, Tilly’s agreed to settle the case. As a result, all 615,000+ class members were able to receive cash payments. “This is an excellent result for consumers and a reminder to people that they have legal rights if they are receiving unsolicited phone calls and text messages,” said attorney Ross Good of Anderson+Wanca.

If you have received an unsolicited spam text or robocall and would like to contact the firm of Anderson+Wanca for a free consultation, please use our contact form.

 

LinkedIn Data Breach: What You Need To Know

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The most recent 2016 LinkedIn data breach is a continuation of the original data breach that occurred in 2012. At the time, LinkedIn’s investigation revealed 6.5 million stolen username and password combinations, and took precautionary measures to re-secure those accounts.

On May 19th however, a Russian hacker with the moniker “Peace” was confirmed to be selling a database of 117 million usernames and passwords from the 2012 data breach, making it clear that the scope of the original incident was far wider than users had been led to be believe.

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