Advance America class action alleges loan provider could have prevented data breach

Advance America class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: Plaintiff John Wilkinson filed a class action lawsuit against Advance America Cash Advance Centers Inc.
• Why: Advance America allegedly failed to adequately safeguard sensitive consumer data, leaving it vulnerable to a February 2023 data breach.
• Where: The Advance America class action lawsuit was filed in South Carolina federal court.
• How to find help: Consumers who received a data breach letter informing them their information was compromised in a cybersecurity incident may qualify to participate in a free data breach class action lawsuit investigation.

A consumer hit Advance America Cash Advance Centers Inc. with a class action lawsuit in the wake of a data breach that allegedly exposed the Personal Identifiable Information (PII) of those who used the company’s loan services.

Advance America is a company that provides cash advances and other loan services in the United States.

Plaintiff John Wilkinson Advance America claims recently informed him of the data breach, which reportedly took place around Feb. 7. An unauthorized user allegedly gained access to the company’s business records, including consumers’ Social Security numbers and other PII.

Advance America data breach result of negligence, lawsuit says

Wilkinson alleges the Advance America data breach is a result of the company’s alleged failure to maintain a security system to adequately protect consumers’ PII. He claims the loan company failed to take basic security measures, such as encrypting sensitive consumer information.

Wilkinson says he is concerned unencrypted PII may end up for sale on the dark web or fall into the hands of other unauthorized individuals.

“Due to [Advance America’s] negligence, cybercriminals obtained everything they need to commit identity theft and wreak havoc on the financial and personal lives of thousands of individuals,” the Advance America data breach class action states.

Despite knowing about the data breach in February, Wilkinson claims the company failed to notify those affected until the middle of August.

He notes data breach victims are at an “immediate, imminent and heightened risk of all manners of identity theft” and will likely have to spend time and money to mitigate the damage.

Wilkinson filed the Advance America class action lawsuit on behalf of himself and a proposed class of others whose PII may have been accessed in the Advance America data breach. There are other class actions in the works over the data breach, as well.

This isn’t the first class action lawsuit Advance America has faced. In 2010, the company agreed to settle a class action lawsuit alleging it charged illegal fees and excessively high interest rates.

Were you affected by the Advance America data breach? Tell us about your experience in the comments.

Wilkinson is represented by Elizabeth Dalzell of Shealey Law Firm and William B. Federman of Federman & Sherwood.

The Advance America data breach class action lawsuit is John Wilkinson v. Advance America, Cash Advance Centers Inc., Case No. 6:23-cv-04347-DCC, in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, Greenville Division.

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