TMobile sued after employee stole nude images from phone
pCredit CardsppLoansppBankingppMortgagesppInsuranceppCredit MonitoringppPersonal FinanceppSmall BusinessppTaxesppHelp for Low Credit ScoresppInvestingppSELECTppAll Credit CardsppFind the Credit Card for YouppBest Credit CardsppBest Rewards Credit CardsppBest Travel Credit CardsppBest 0 APR Credit CardsppBest Balance Transfer Credit CardsppBest Cash Back Credit CardsppBest Credit Card Welcome BonusesppBest Credit Cards to Build CreditppSELECTppAll LoansppFind the Best Personal Loan for YouppBest Personal LoansppBest Debt Consolidation LoansppBest Loans to Refinance Credit Card DebtppBest Loans with Fast FundingppBest Small Personal LoansppBest Large Personal LoansppBest Personal Loans to Apply OnlineppBest Student Loan RefinanceppSELECTppAll BankingppFind the Savings Account for YouppBest High Yield Savings AccountsppBest Big Bank Savings AccountsppBest Big Bank Checking AccountsppBest No Fee Checking AccountsppNo Overdraft Fee Checking AccountsppBest Checking Account BonusesppBest Money Market AccountsppBest CDsppBest Credit UnionsppSELECTppAll MortgagesppBest MortgagesppBest Mortgages for Small Down PaymentppBest Mortgages for No Down PaymentppBest Mortgages with No Origination FeeppBest Mortgages for Average Credit ScoreppAdjustable Rate MortgagesppAffording a MortgageppSELECTppAll InsuranceppBest Life InsuranceppBest Homeowners InsuranceppBest Renters InsuranceppBest Car InsuranceppTravel InsuranceppSELECTppAll Credit MonitoringppBest Credit Monitoring ServicesppBest Identity Theft ProtectionppHow to Boost Your Credit ScoreppCredit Repair ServicesppSELECTppAll Personal FinanceppBest Budgeting AppsppBest Expense Tracker AppsppBest Money Transfer AppsppBest Resale Apps and SitesppBuy Now Pay Later BNPL AppsppBest Debt ReliefppSELECTppAll Small BusinessppBest Small Business Savings AccountsppBest Small Business Checking AccountsppBest Credit Cards for Small BusinessppBest Small Business LoansppBest Tax Software for Small BusinessppSELECTppAll TaxesppBest Tax SoftwareppBest Tax Software for Small BusinessesppTax RefundsppSELECTppAll Help for Low Credit ScoresppBest Credit Cards for Bad CreditppBest Personal Loans for Bad CreditppBest Debt Consolidation Loans for Bad CreditppPersonal Loans if You Dont Have CreditppBest Credit Cards for Building CreditppPersonal Loans for 580 Credit Score or LowerppPersonal Loans for 670 Credit Score or LowerppBest Mortgages for Bad CreditppBest Hardship LoansppHow to Boost Your Credit ScoreppSELECTppAll InvestingppBest IRA AccountsppBest Roth IRA AccountsppBest Investing AppsppBest Free Stock Trading PlatformsppBest RoboAdvisorsppIndex FundsppMutual FundsppETFsppBondsppppIn this articleppTMobile is once again being accused of failing to protect sensitive consumer data after an employee at one of its retail stores stole nude images from a customers phone when she came to trade in an old device according to a lawsuit filed Friday ppThe incident is similar to at least eight others levied against TMobile in the past according to court records and news reports The lawsuit comes as wireless companies and other tech giants face increasing pressure from lawmakers to do more to protect customer data ppThe suit filed in Washington state court accuses TMobile of failing to properly train its retail workers and turning a blind eye when employees use their access to steal customer data under the guise theyre helping them with repairs and data transfersppFor almost a decade TMobile customers across the United States have regularly reported evidenced by news stories and lawsuits instances of retail store employees stealing their intimate videos explicit photos and bank accounts the suit charges Nevertheless TMobile has failed to implement any commonsense security hardware or software to protect consumers from their data and privacy being exploited during ordinary transactions at the TMobile storeppIn a statement a TMobile spokesperson said This was an employee of a thirdparty authorized retailer and he was terminated While we are unable to comment on the specifics of this pending case we want to underscore that we take customer protection and issues like this very seriously We have policies and procedures in place to protect customer information and expect them to be followedppThe victim who is only referred to as Jane Doe in the complaint states she went to a TMobile store at the Columbia Center Mall about 200 miles southeast of Seattle last October to upgrade her iPhone XS Max to an iPhone 14 Pro Max While there she handed the old device off to an employee so he could transfer her data to the new device ppWhile the worker had the phone he found nude images of the victim and a video of her having sex with her partner on the camera roll of the XS Max and sent it to himself on Snapchat the lawsuit states  ppOnce the transaction was finished Jane assumed her data was wiped from the old phone until later that evening when she checked her Snapchat and saw that the images had been sent to an unknown account which police later traced back to the TMobile employeeppAnxious and concerned Jane hastily returned to the TMobile store with her mother to speak to the store manager the lawsuit states During this time while Jane was seeking assistance at the TMobile store the unauthorized person continued to log into her social media accounts on the iPhone XS Max ppAt first staff claimed there had been no tradeins that day but with help from mall security and local police Janes old phone was found in the back room ppRather than helping Jane out in the face of the sexual privacy crime the TMobile manager said if Jane wanted access back to the old device that had been weaponized against her Jane would need to pay them the amount that they had discounted her for the tradein the lawsuit states Janes mother on Janes behalf surrendered and paid the amount ppThe employee was later charged with first degree computer trespass a felony and disclosing intimate images which is a crime in most states according to the lawsuit He pleaded guilty last month the suit says ppThe lawsuit was filed by Carrie Goldberg and Laura HechtFelella at the New Yorkbased CA Goldberg firm and Emma Aubrey from the Washingtonbased Redmond Law Firm ppGoldberg who frequently takes on tech giants for failing to protect consumers called her latest suit a classic case of a gargantuan company chalking off customer injury as a cost of doing business ppTMobile has long known that its negligent hiring and absent consumer safety policies will result in at least some of its customers becoming sexually exploited Goldberg told CNBCppTMobile has big incentive programs to induce customers to upgrade their devices and turn in their old ones But the ugly truth is that TMobile knows that employees sometimes steal customers most intimate images and videos from the old devices they relinquish Goldberg added This case shows that nobody should feel their privacy is safe at TMobileppGot a confidential news tip We want to hear from youppSign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inboxppGet this delivered to your inbox and more info about our products and services pp 2023 CNBC LLC All Rights Reserved A Division of NBCUniversalppData is a realtime snapshot Data is delayed at least 15 minutes Global Business and Financial News Stock Quotes and Market Data and AnalysisppData also provided by p