Internet/E-commerce Archive
LinkedIn Password Class Action Lawsuit (You knew it was coming…)
June 19th, 2012. By AbiK
You knew it was coming. Close to 6.5 million passwords get leaked and you know no one’s gonna sit quietly and think “all’s well that end’s well”. Uh-uh.
And so it is for LinkedIn. (Hey—perfect place for gratuitous LawyersandSettlements.com LinkedIn plug: follow us!)
Remember that security breach they announced on June 6th? The one where over six million passwords were “leaked” to a hash cracking website? The one where LinkedIn started deactivating accounts and sending out security advisory emails to its members? That one.
Well, there’s been a class action lawsuit filed against LinkedIn. Needless to say, it’s an internet privacy lawsuit.
According to the filing with the U.S. District Court – Northern California, LinkedIn failed to “properly safeguard its users’ digitally stored personally identifiable information, including e-mail addresses, passwords, and login credentials”. The lawsuit was filed by Katie Szpyrka, a Chicago-based senior associate at a real estate firm, who’s been a LinkedIn member since 2010 and who’s forked over the extra cash to become a “premium” LinkedIn member.
Since the LinkedIn password leak, there haven’t been any reports of any LinkedIn accounts being accessed without authorization, so no outright injury so to speak. But still, there was a security breach and, therefore, the lawsuit also seeks an injunction against LinkedIn, to ensure the social networking site does a better job of protecting members’ privacy.
Given the economy, and the latest jobless numbers, I’m betting the LinkedIn security breach won’t really affect their membership numbers—none of my contacts have been leaving in droves; in fact, they’re networking away. But we’ll see what happens as the LinkedIn class action lawsuit moves along…
Tax Alert: Tax Scam Tips to Avoid Getting Screwed
April 3rd, 2012. By AbiK
With two weeks left to file taxes, everyone’s in a bit of a scramble to fill out those 1040’s or 1040EZ’s. And, don’t you know that tax scammers know it. So here are some tips to avoid becoming a victim of a tax scam—after all, owing money to the IRS or going through an IRS audit is bad enough—but being a victim of identity theft due to a tax scam is potentially a lot worse.
Tax Scam Tip #1: The IRS Does Not Use Email or Social Media to Contact You.
If the IRS has a problem with you or your tax return, they’ll use the regular mail. So your mailman will be the bearer of those joyful greetings. The IRS will not send you an email. Therefore, if you receive an email from someone claiming to be the IRS, do not open it, do not open any attachments that may be on it, do not click on any links in it, and do not respond to it—it’s someone who’s phishing for your personal information. And keep in mind, the IRS website ends in “.gov”—not .net, .com, .org, .biz or any other domain extension—if you see those, be highly suspicious.
Likewise, while I’m sure there are some friendly folks working at the IRS, the IRS as a rule is not your friend and will not be sending you a message on Facebook or DM’ing you on Twitter.
If you receive either an email or a message on your social media channels from someone who claims to be the IRS, forward that information (you can send the email directly) to .
Tax Scam Tip #2: The IRS Does Not Request Your Personal Information by Phone (or Email).
Again, the IRS won’t ask you on-the-spot for things like your social security number or a password or a credit card or bank account number. So if you receive a phone call (or email for that matter) from someone claiming to be the IRS and they ask you to provide any of your personal information, just hang up. It is not the IRS calling.
Likewise, if someone calls, claiming to be the IRS, and they threaten you or try to intimidate you in order to get you to provide your social security number, bank account information or credit card numbers, hang up. No matter what you see in the movies or on t.v., the IRS doesn’t make phone calls to threaten anyone into giving them personal identification information.
Tax Scam Tip #3: Tax Prep is Not Free, and You Don’t have to Provide Money to Get a Refund.
Yes, you will have to pay to get your taxes prepared if you do not prepare them yourself. But if anyone tells you that you’re due a tax refund—but you’ll first have to repay the stimulus money you received last year—then you’re being scammed. You will never have to pay any money—other than for your tax preparer’s services–in order to receive a tax refund.
If you receive an email, phone call or other communication offering “free” tax preparation, delete it, hang up or toss it. Tax prep is not free. Additionally, no legitimate tax preparer can guarantee you a refund—you’ll get a refund if your tax return says you will. And a legitimate tax preparer will sign your return—in your presence—and provide you with a signed copy of your tax return.
As with any other business, when in doubt, you can always check out a business at the Better Business Bureau. And if you think you’ve been a victim of a tax scam, file a report with the IRS at the phishing email above, and if you’ve fallen for the scam without realizing it until later and think you’ve been a victim of identity theft, report it to the FTC.
Google Privacy Policy Class Action Lawsuit Filed
March 23rd, 2012. By AbiK
You knew it was coming. The minute everyone started to catch on amidst all those Google “new privacy policy” banners that, hey, Google’s going to be tracking every move you make in the name of intuition and “service”, well, you knew a privacy lawsuit would be brewing somewhere.
And so it was.
The Google privacy policy lawsuit was filed in US District Court in Manhattan on behalf of all Google and Android users who signed up for any Google service (Google+, YouTube, Picasa, Gmail, Blogger to name a few) from August 19, 2004 to February 29, 2012 and continued to use a Google account on or after March 1, 2012 when the new Google privacy policy kicked in.
The plaintiffs in the Google lawsuit—David Nisenbaum, Pedro Marti and Allison C. Weiss—are alleging violation of the Computer Fraud Abuse Act, the Federal Wiretap Act and the Stored Electronic Communications Act.
We posted—right before the Google privacy policy went into effect—on how to protect yourself from Google’s monitoring all your comings and goings. Check it out if you haven’t–and update your account settings.
So this one will be one to keep an eye on. The Google privacy policy lawsuit seeks class action status (ie, it’s not certified as a class action lawsuit yet) and the complaint is seeking financial damages.
GAO: IRS Taxpayer Data not Secure Enough
March 22nd, 2012. By AbiK
Your taxpayer info may be at risk. That’s comforting news as millions of Americans are gearing up to submit those 1040’s, eh?
Yes, the GAO—that would be the US Government Accountability Office—released a report this month titled: “Report to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue; Information Security: IRS Needs to Further Enhance Internal Control over Financial Reporting and Taxpayer Data”. It gives new meaning to the phrase “IRS Audit”…
So here’s the deal: your taxpayer information may not be safe over at the IRS, which sounds like a security breach waiting to happen.
Hearing this is reminiscent of that AA 12-step adage: ‘admission is the first step to recovery’; i.e., it’s one thing when others point the finger about a problem—it’s another when you point the finger at yourself. Hell, then the problem must really exist—and that’s what’s a bit disturbing here—this is a government report pointing the finger at…the government. Time to raise an eyebrow, folks.
According to the GAO Report (GAO-12-393, 3/16/12), while the IRS did implement security controls and procedures for its financial and tax-processing systems, there are weaknesses in those controls and procedures. Weaknesses the GAO point-blank states “continue to jeopardize the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the financial and sensitive taxpayer information processed by IRS’systems.”
Here’s another gem from the report: “…IRS’s security testing and monitoring continued to not detect many of the vulnerabilities GAO identified during this audit.”
Remember that viral TSA video last week—the one where Jonathan Corbett makes a mockery of TSA full-body scanners? The scanner in that instance ‘continued to not detect vulnerabilities’, too. That video has gotten roughly 1.9M views on YouTube to date and caused outrage on social networks. But, ok, not everyone flies or is online keeping abreast of viral videos—everyone, however, pays taxes. Everyone should be outraged by this.
Specifically, the GAO points to the following as examples in which the IRS systems fail to control access to information:
- IRS had not always implemented controls for identifying and authenticating users–such as having users create new passwords after set time intervals;
- IRS hadn’t appropriately restricted access to certain servers;
- IRS had not always ensured that sensitive data were encrypted as the data were being transmitted;
- IRS didn’t always audit and monitor systems to ensure that unauthorized activities would be detected;
- IRS had not always ensured management validation of access to restricted areas;
- IRS had not always patched or updated software leaving the agency exposed to known vulnerabilities;
- IRS had not enforced backup procedures for a ‘key system’;
Anyone for storming the Bastille after reading that?
Would you Hand Over your Facebook Password on a Job Interview?
March 21st, 2012. By AbiK
You’ve made it to the interview stage—congratulations! Now fork over your Facebook login and password.
Would you do it?
If you really wanted the job, chances are you would. But is it right? Or is it an invasion of privacy? Many would say it’s cause for a Facebook privacy lawsuit.
Being asked for your Facebook password is becoming more commonplace as part of the job interview process. Apparently, for the recruiters, it’s the modern day version of a background check, work history and reference check all wrapped up in one. Unfortunately, even innocent posts—or those times you’ve been tagged in friends’ photos—are up for interpretation by the hiring manager or HR person. Beer in hand? Maybe you party too much. And let’s not even talk about those more ‘viewer discretion advised’ posts—or worse.
For job applicants, however, it’s sort of like finding bed bugs in your hotel bed—completely uninvited and unwanted, but you need the darn bed to get some sleep. What to do? Chances are, you ask for another room or find another hotel–but in this job market, other jobs aren’t as easy to come by as a new hotel room.
If ever there were a doubt that employment recruiters and HR professionals are trolling online for dirt on prospective hires, just listen to this:
A recent survey done by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that 56 percent of HR pros admit to using social media sites for recruiting; 95 percent say they use LinkedIn; and 58 percent use Facebook.
And while most web-savvier folks correlate LinkedIn with “job search mecca”, many job seekers don’t even know LinkedIn exists. But they know Facebook does. And recruiters know this. So, particularly when targeting non-executive positions, Facebook becomes a go-to source for a wealth of information—supplemental information that otherwise may not bubble up in the interview or reference check process.
But, if a Facebook account is private, well, that little ol’ login and password are needed. And who better to ask for it than the person who created it? And, what better time to ask them for it than when they’re sitting anxiously across the desk from you during their job interview?
In any other setting, most people would withhold such information; after all, isn’t Facebook for connecting with ‘friends’? And for most, it’ll be a cold day in h#ll before they include their HR manager in their circle of FB friends. (Notwithstanding that recent article about Facebook narcissism based on the number of friends you have.)
So handing over a Facebook password would appear to be something you’d only do under duress; you’d only be compelled (coerced?) to provide such information if you felt you HAD to do so—as would be the case if you thought a possible job were on the line.
A recent Associated Press article quotes George Washington University law professor, Orin Kerr, as likening the situation to “requiring someone’s house keys” for the interview. Kerr goes on to call it an “egregious privacy violation”.
And it is. After all, when you consider that an interviewer is not supposed to ask questions about age, marital status, children or health concerns, how is it that the same interviewer should potentially have access to all such information by asking for your Facebook password? Something isn’t right there.
Undoubtedly, we’ll be seeing more Facebook privacy lawsuits sprouting up. But in the meantime, here’s a tip: if you’re job hunting, get a LinkedIn profile. Anything and everything a prospective employer should want or need to know about you can be housed there. Even the professional ‘company you keep’—and linking in with an HR rep is surely less creepy on LinkedIn than on Facebook. Any other information about you can be found via the less intrusive methods: background check, reference checks, drug testing…the usual suspects.
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