The casino giant, Caesar’s Entertainment, recently disclosed that private information for a “significant number” of their loyalty program customers was stolen by hackers. The information includes driver’s license and social security numbers, which were stolen through “a social engineering attack” on the contractor for their IT systems. The admission comes after the company filed a report with the Securities and Exchange Commission, where they confirmed that a copy of their loyalty customer program database was stolen by hackers.
According to Caesars Entertainment, the owner of Caesar’s Palace and other famous casino-hotels, “We have taken steps to ensure that the stolen data is deleted by the unauthorized actor, although we cannot guarantee this result.”
While their response is honest, it’s of little comfort to the millions of people who have found themselves the victim of identity theft. As someone that was affected by the Caesar’s Palace data breach, you may be entitled to monetary damages from a lawsuit against Caesar’s Entertainment. To learn more about your legal options as someone whose personal information was compromised, contact us to speak with a class action lawsuit attorney.
Dangers of Identity Theft for Consumers
The magnitude of this data breach is hard to imagine, as it’s estimated that approximately 100 million people were affected by the information that was stolen from the hotel-casino giant. Data hacks are incredibly concerning, as stolen information can be sold and used for a variety of criminal purposes. Here are some of the consequences when information is leaked in a mass data breach:
- Your information may be sold on the dark web to people who will use it to open new accounts and apply for credit in your name.
- Thieves can use the information to access documents and other databases that contain your personal information.
- You may be a victim of phishing attempts, meaning you are sent emails, texts, and voicemails that are designed to steal your information. A common example is a text warning you that your credit card or bank account is suspended. The text will advise you to enter in your account number and other private information to “unlock” your account, which will allow the cybercriminals to obtain your personal data.
- Hackers can use your data to hijack your accounts and make them inaccessible to you. Proving that you are the rightful owner can be extremely difficult, and the losses you can sustain in the meantime can be staggering.
What are my Rights after a Data Breach?
Now that you have a sense of what is at stake, you probably have questions about the legal actions you can take if you were victimized in a data breach.
In theory, the companies that put the consumer at risk should be fined by the FTC or another governing agency. Alternatively, they should be proactive in offering solutions and compensation to the consumer, but this rarely happens, as it will mean that they are admitting liability. This can open the company up to all types of lawsuits for many years to come, which they are certainly looking to avoid. In addition, a company is only required to provide compensation if it’s proven that the breach in data was caused by their negligence. Furthermore, the extent to which the victim suffered from the data leak is another factor in whether they have the right to demand compensation.
Based on concrete losses (from identity theft, for example), you may have the right to file a civil lawsuit against Caesar Entertainment. These cases are often grouped together in a class action lawsuit, as a database leak involves many victims. However, there are conditions that must be met in order to file as a class action. For example, the victims would have to have suffered similar losses or be impacted by the data theft in similar ways. They would also have to show that the hackers were able to steal the data due to an intentional act or omission by the company (negligence).
Usually, omission is the basis for cases of data breach, meaning that the company was careless or failed to certain security measures that were within reason. A company is still liable under these circumstances even if the actual breach was committed by a third party, as they are ultimately responsible for protecting the user’s information.
How Can I Join a Class Action Lawsuit on This Case?
Though we are still at the early stage of the security breach affecting guests at Caesar’s Palace, it’s only a matter of time before class actions lawsuits develop on these cases. If you would like to start a class action claim or join an existing lawsuit, just give us a call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Before you embark on any legal action, you should have a clear understanding of the legal process and your rights as a consumer whose information has been compromised. A data breach class action lawyer at our office will take the time to answer your questions and ensure that joining a class action is in your best interest. Based on the impact of this incident on your life, you may have other options when it comes to suing Caesar’s Entertainment for monetary damages.
To discuss your case with a cybersecurity data breach lawyer, contact us at your earliest convenience.
Examples of Data Breach Fines and Settlements
Database hacks and thefts have resulted in costly settlements for companies that failed in their duty of care to the people they are supposed to protect. Let’s take a look at some of the most costly data hack settlements affecting consumers throughout the world:
- Amazon was charged a fine of $877 million by officials in Luxembourg for what is believed to be a data breach related to cookie consent. The fine is being appealed by Amazon, which has made the following statement: “There has been no data breach, and no customer data has been exposed to any third party.”
- In 2017, Equifax’s failure to fix a critical point of vulnerability in one of their databases resulted in the loss of financial information for approximately 150 million people. They also failed to inform affected consumers of the data breach for several weeks, which prevented consumers from taking steps to protect their accounts. The company agreed to pay a settlement of $575 million in a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, which accused Equifax of “failure to take reasonable steps to secure its network.”
- A settlement by T-Mobile was announced in July 2022 for a data breach class action lawsuit following a data leak that impacted around 77 million people. Consumer data was stolen due to “unauthorized access,” which resulted in consumer data being put up for sale on a dark web forum.
- Facebook (Meta) was fined $277 million by the Ireland Data Protection Commission for compromising user data for around 500 million individuals. According to the organization, there were compliance violations of the GDPR obligation for Data Protection by Design and Default. These issues affected users of Facebook and Instagram through various online tools, such as Facebook Search and Instagram Contact Importer.
- Home Depot was involved in one of the biggest POS system data breaches in 2014, resulting in the company paying out numerous fines and settlements. Through stolen credentials, hackers entered Home Depot’s network and stole over 53 million email addresses and 50 million credit card numbers over a period of 5 months. Aside from the data breach, it was astounding that the hackers had gotten away their crimes for so long, which indicates serious problems with the company’s security policies and procedures.
Contact us for a Free Consultation
As a victim of stolen and used data, it’s essential to protect yourself and your finances. That includes going after the parties that are responsible for your information being stolen. Our lawyers have extensive experience in federal and state consumer laws, including identity theft and database security breaches. We are here to help if you are one of the countless people whose information was compromised by the Caesar’s Palace data breach.
If you decide to proceed with a lawsuit, you won’t be charged a single penny in legal fees. We have a Zero Fee Guarantee in place for all clients, which means you can obtain free legal services for the entire duration of your case. The cost of representing you is paid to us as a part of your settlement, so we don’t make a cent unless you receive compensation from a successful data breach lawsuit.
If you’re interested in exploring your rights and legal options, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We look forward to addressing your questions and concerns during a free case evaluation.
