Sonic Data Breach Lawsuit
A data breach lawsuit may be an option for people whose personal information was hacked after a reported Sonic data breach. According to a report published by the Associated Press, Sonic Drive-In is “working with third-party forensic experts and law enforcement officials” to investigate “unusual activity” on credit cards used at some of the restaurant’s locations. Individuals who have had their credit card and personal information illegally accessed as a result may be able to seek compensation with the help of a data breach lawsuit attorney.
If you suspect that your credit card or personal information may have been compromised as a result of a potential Sonic Drive-In data breach, contact Attorney Group to learn more. We provide free, confidential and no-obligation consultations. We can help answer your questions, and if you have a claim we can connect you with an affiliated data breach lawsuit attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
Have You Seen a Sonic Data Breach Lawsuit Commercial?
You may have seen information on television or the Internet and wondered whether you or a loved one have been affected by a potential Sonic data breach and, if so, whether you are eligible to pursue a claim. The purpose of this article is to provide you with additional information about data breach lawsuits so that you have a better understanding of your options.
Sonic Data Breach Reportedly Compromised Millions of Credit and Debit Cards
An unknown number of Sonic Drive-In store payment systems may have been affected by a possible Sonic data breach, according to a report published by Krebs on Security in September 2017. According to the article, Sonic issued a statement to Krebs saying:
Our credit card processor informed us last week of unusual activity regarding credit cards used at SONIC. The security of our guests’ information is very important to SONIC. We are working to understand the nature and scope of this issue, as we know how important this is to our guests. We immediately engaged third-party forensic experts and law enforcement when we heard from our processor. While law enforcement limits the information we can share, we will communicate additional information as we are able.
Sonic Drive-In is a popular fast-food chain with almost 3,600 locations throughout 45 U.S. states. Krebs’ report has indicated that company officials said the investigation is still in its early stages, and the company does not yet know how many or which of its stores may be impacted.
What is a Data Breach?
A data breach is the intentional or unintentional release of secure, private or confidential information to an untrusted, sometimes malicious environment, organization or person. Data breaches may also be categorized as an unintentional information disclosure, digital security incident, data leak and data spill.
Data breaches may involve financial information such as credit card or bank details, personal health information, personally identifiable information such as social security numbers or other information, corporate or business trade secrets or intellectual property.
How Does a Data Breach Occur?
Using a variety of methods, criminals steal Social Security numbers (SSNs), driver’s licenses, credit and debit card numbers, and other pieces of individuals’ identities such as date of birth. They use this information to impersonate their victims, spending as much money as they can in as short a time as possible before moving on to another person’s name and identifying information.
According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (PRC), a non-profit organization located in California, there are two primary types of identity theft:
- “Existing account fraud” or “account takeover fraud” occurs when a thief or hacker accesses credit or debit card information and purchases products and services using either the actual card or the account number and expiration date. Victims may not learn of account takeover until they receive their monthly account statement or check their bank account.
- “New account fraud” or “application fraud” occurs when a thief or hacker uses a victim’s SSN and other identifying information to open new accounts in the victim’s name. Victims are not likely to learn of application fraud for some time because the monthly account statements are mailed to an address used by the imposter.
In the case of a large data breach at a chain restaurant, such as Sonic Drive-In, malicious hackers typically steal credit card data from organizations that accept cards by hacking into point-of-sale systems remotely. POS terminals can be attractive targets for hackers and are vulnerable to data breaches. Hackers then plant malicious software that can copy account data stored on a card’s magnetic stripe.
These breaches can be massive in size, sometimes affecting millions of cardholders. POS systems have potentially been breached at other major chain restaurants as well, including Chipotle and Wendy’s.
How Can a Data Breach Affect You?
In addition to a loss of personal, financial or health information, data breaches can cause numerous complications for those affected. When financial information is hacked, victims may have to pay fees for monitoring your credit to ensure credit scores aren’t negatively impacted from the violation and to make sure card holders don’t become a victim of identity theft. In some cases, victims may also have to pay to receive a credit report to check on fraudulent charges.
The following actions may reduce the risk of identity theft should a data breach occur:
- Ask your card issuer to cancel your current card and reissue the card with a new account number. Although they are not required to do so – and there may be a charge for the replacement card – this can be especially important if you have used a debit card at the breached entity.
- Carefully monitor all your account transactions online.
- Set up text or email alerts of any activity if your card issuer offers it.
- Make sure that your account statements arrive in your mailbox at their normal time. Also, you may want to consider setting up access to online statements.
- Immediately call your financial institution and follow up by formally disputing the transaction in writing if you become aware of any fraudulent transactions.
- Be suspicious of any email or phone call that you might receive about the breach that requests personal information.
Just because you have been a victim of a data breach does not mean you will become a victim of identity theft. However, if your information has been accessed through a reported data breach, you can contact a data breach attorney to learn more about your options.
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Identity Theft Prevention
It is not possible to completely prevent identity theft. According to the U.S. Federal Government, the following steps can be taken to potentially prevent identity theft:
- Secure your social security number (SSN). Don’t carry your social security card in your wallet or write your number on your checks. Only give out your SSN when absolutely necessary.
- Don’t respond to unsolicited requests for personal information (your name, birthdate, social security number, or bank account number) by phone, mail, or online.
- Contact the three credit reporting agencies to request a freeze of your credit reports.
- Collect mail promptly, and place a hold on your mail when you are away from home for several days.
- Pay attention to your billing cycles. If bills or financial statements are late, contact the sender.
- Enable the security features on mobile devices, especially if you have contacts, banking websites and applications saved.
- Update sharing and firewall settings when you’re on a public Wi-Fi network. Consider using a virtual private network, which can give you the privacy of secured private network.
- Review your credit card and bank account statements. Promptly compare receipts with account statements. Watch for unauthorized transactions.
- Shred receipts, credit offers, account statements, and expired credit cards, to prevent “dumpster divers” from getting your personal information.
- Store personal information in a safe place at home and at work.
- Install firewalls and virus-detection software on your home computer.
- Create complex passwords that identity thieves cannot guess easily. Change your passwords if a company that you do business with has a breach of its databases
- Review your credit report once a year to be certain that it doesn’t include accounts that you have not opened.
The federal government encourages victims to report identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as well as credit reporting agencies, financial institutions, retailers, and state and local protection offices.
Sonic Data Breach Lawsuit News
- September 2017Krebs on Security reports that Sonic Drive-In restaurants may have been impacted by a potential data breach, possibly leading to a “fire sale on millions of stolen credit and debit card accounts.”
Lauren A. on May 16, 2016
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Consumers Affected by a Sonic Data Breach May Be Entitled to Compensation
Victims of data breaches may be entitled to receive compensation for any personal information that may have been compromised, and the responsible party may be liable for financial losses resulting from a data breach. Affected consumers should seek legal counsel from a Sonic data breach attorney to get more information about their rights and remedies.
For more information, contact Attorney Group today. After you contact us, an attorney will follow up to answer questions that you might have. There is no cost or obligation to speak with us, and any information you provide will be kept confidential.
Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim or file a lawsuit for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
