CLEARWATER — A Florida man is suing Equifax,alleging negligence allowed its computer systems to be hacked and that the personal data of 143 million Americans was at risk of being stolen.
Matthew D. Weidner filed a complaint Sept. 15 in Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida Pinellas County against Equifax, alleging failed to maintain safeguards to protect sensitive information in a recently announced data breach.
According to the complaint, between May and July, hackers accessed the names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, and addresses of 143 million people in Equifax's databases. Weidner says hackers gained access through a common Internet application with a known vulnerability that was reportedly not properly secured.
The plaintiff alleges Equifax failed to timely inform consumers of the data breach, failed to protect sensitive credit and personal information and refused to place a security freeze on consumer's credit files despite repeated phone calls requesting the freeze.
Weidner seeks trial by jury, actual damages, pre-judgment interest, attorney fees, court costs and all other relief the court deems just and proper. He is represented by attorney Michael P. Fuino of Weidner Law, PA in St. Petersburg.
Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida Pinellas County case number 17-565HCI-19