KFC, Pizza Hut parent hit with class action over January data breach

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KFC class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: Plaintiff Christie Stinson has filed a class action lawsuit against Yum! Brands Inc., which franchises and/or operates restaurants including KFC and Pizza Hut.
• Why: Yum! Brands allegedly failed to adequately safeguard the personally identifiable information of job applicants and employees, leaving them vulnerable to identity theft and fraud in the wake of a January 2023 ransomware attack.
• Where: The Pizza Hut class action lawsuit was filed in Kentucky federal court.
• What are my options: Consumers wishing to better secure their own data may find options from Norton LifeLock.

A former employee of a Yum! Brands company has filed a class action lawsuit after her personal information was allegedly compromised in a January 2023 ransomware attack.

Yum Brands Inc. franchises and/or operates a system of more than 55,000 restaurants globally, including KFC and Pizza Hut, the KFC class action lawsuit says.

Plaintiff Christie Stinson says she received a KFC data breach notice letter dated April 7 informing her that names, addresses, birthdates and Social Security numbers may have been compromised during the January ransomware attack.

Stinson filed the Pizza Hut class action lawsuit on behalf of herself and others who received notice that their personally identifiable information (PII) may have been accessed by cybercriminals.

KFC data breach puts victims at risk of identity theft, plaintiff says

The Pizza Hut class action lawsuit says Yum! Brands knew personal identifiable information is a frequent target of cybercriminals yet failed to adequately safeguard the PII of job applicants and employees.

As a result of the Pizza Hut data breach, Stinson says she and other members of the putative class are at an increased risk of identity theft.

“Identity theft causes severe negative consequences to its victims, as well as severe distress and hours of lost time trying to fight against the impact of identity theft,” according to the KFC class action lawsuit.

Stinson notes data-breach victims experience long-term consequences when their Social Security numbers are stolen. Even if victims know their Social Security numbers have been compromised, the Pizza Hut class action lawsuit says new numbers can only be issued once the number has been misused.

The personal data compromised in the KFC data breach can allegedly be used by cybercriminals to commit various types of fraud, such as applying for credit cards, obtaining a loan, filing false tax returns, stealing government benefits and applying for a driver’s license.

Stinson says her information may already have been sold by cybercriminals. Had she known about the Pizza Hut data breach in a timely manner, she could have taken steps to mitigate the damage. Instead, she says the KFC data breach notice was sent out more than three months after the ransomware attack was discovered.

The KFC class action lawsuit asserts claims for negligence, breach of implied contract, unjust enrichment, and seeks a declaratory judgment.

Are you affected by the KFC, Pizza Hut data breach? Tell us about your experience in the comments!

Stinson is represented by Alexander Edmondson of Edmonson & Associates Law and Gary E. Mason, Danielle L. Perry and Lisa A. White of Mason LLP.

The KFC, Pizza Hut data breach class action lawsuit is Christie Stinson, et al. v. Yum! Brands Inc., Case No. 3:23-cv-00183-DJH, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Louisville Division.

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