An AT&T customer filed a lawsuit against the company last week accusing it of failing to provide “reasonable and appropriate security to prevent unauthorized access to its customer wireless accounts. ” This has actually led to the theft of cryptocurrency from the complainant’s crypto exchange account.
AT&T Sued by Crypto Investor
An AT&T customer, Jamarquis Etheridge, filed a lawsuit in the district court for the Southern District of Texas against AT&T Inc. and AT&T Mobility LLC Wednesday.
Etheridge, a homeowner of the U.S. state of Texas, has actually been a customer of AT&T because 2009. He claims to be a victim of “SIM swapping,” also known as “SIM hijacking.” SIM switching is a typical rip-off that AT&T is no complete stranger to. The company was involved in a bigger case involving this scam last year with crypto investor Michael Terpin.
The court file submitted by Etheridge’s lawyer, Richard E. Brown, specifies that on or about Sept. 10, 2020, AT&T “allowed wrongdoers access to plaintiff Etheridge’s wireless account and, without his authorization,” declaring:
AT&T was unable to contain this security breach until the next day, allowing offenders to drain complainant Etheridge’s cryptocurrency exchange account.
He further alleges that “AT&T was well aware of the pervasive harm posed by SIM swapping,” as the company previously issued public advisories warning customers of the industry-wide threat of this type of scam.
Etheridge likewise stated that AT&T guaranteed consumers that it was working out appropriate steps to avoid unapproved SIM switching from taking place to its account holders. Nonetheless, the court file checks out:
AT&T engages in practices that … fail to provide reasonable and appropriate security to prevent unauthorized access to its customer wireless accounts, enabling unapproved individuals to be validated and after that gave gain access to to delicate customer cordless account information, consisting of gain access to and control over 159.8 ethereum tokens.
After the incident, the price of ether reached more than $4,200 per coin, the court document notes. At the time of writing, the cost of ETH has actually fallen to $3,338.
The plaintiff claims that as a result of AT&T’s actions or inactions, he has suffered and continues to suffer actual damages, including the loss of 159.8 ETH, lost time, embarrassment and humiliation, aggravation and frustration, fear, anxiety, financial uncertainty, unease, emotional distress, and various expenses.
In addition to looking for “compensatory and equitable relief restoring him” to 159.8 ETH, he likewise looks for relief for statutory damages, treble damages, compensatory damages, award for lawyer charges and repayment of all expenses, “pre-and post-judgment interest on any amounts awarded,” and any other relief the court considers simply and appropriate.
