A significant class action lawsuit has been filed against a major online account administration service provider, alleging a severe data breach that compromised the personal information of approximately 1.5 million individuals. On November 18, 2024, Janice Adam initiated legal proceedings in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Set Forth, Inc., accusing the company of failing to adequately protect sensitive client data.
The complaint details how Set Forth, Inc., which provides services to consumers enrolled in debt relief programs, allegedly failed to secure personally identifiable information (PII) such as full names, addresses, and Social Security numbers. This failure led to a data breach where cybercriminals accessed and exfiltrated this sensitive information. The lawsuit claims that the breach resulted from inadequate cybersecurity measures by Set Forth, Inc., which did not implement necessary protocols to prevent such attacks despite being aware of the risks associated with handling valuable PII.
According to the filing, Plaintiff Janice Adam and other affected individuals have suffered various harms due to the breach. These include invasion of privacy, identity theft, loss of PII value, and out-of-pocket expenses incurred while attempting to mitigate these consequences. The complaint highlights that Adam experienced fraudulent charges on her financial accounts post-breach and had to replace her debit card multiple times. Furthermore, she has faced increased spam communications and phishing attempts linked to the unauthorized access of her data.
The plaintiffs are seeking both injunctive relief and damages through this class action suit. They demand that Set Forth, Inc. take immediate steps to improve its data security practices and provide adequate compensation for the damages incurred by those affected by the breach. Additionally, they seek statutory damages under California's Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which could amount up to $750 per consumer per incident if Set Forth fails to address or rectify its violations within a stipulated timeframe.
Representing Janice Adam is an unnamed legal team working diligently on behalf of all similarly situated individuals who have suffered due to this alleged negligence. The case is presided over by judges from the Northern District of Illinois under Case ID 1:24-cv-11866.