MGM Data Breach Could Affect You

We live in a digital world. Nearly everything we do, we do online. Many people conduct their daily work online. You are reading this article online. You got here by running an online search. We are used to our world being online. But that comes with some risks.

10.6 million guests of MGM Resorts had their data leaked online. This data leak exposed names, addresses, and even passport numbers of guests to the resort. While MGM is famous for its Las Vegas resort, the company owns resorts in Atlantic City, Detroit, China, and Japan. This was a massive data breach that could have consequential impacts to the people whose data was leaked.

When you stay at a resort, no matter where, you expect that your personal information will remain confidential. Unfortunately in this case, that did not happen. If you have stayed at any MGM resort, we recommend you check your financial records to ensure you do not have any suspicious charges. If you find charges you did not make or even if you don’t, speaking with a data breach lawyer in Las Vegas could give you the peace of mind you need to know your confidential information is safe.

Data Breaches Happen Frequently

But that does not mean you have to accept them. From 2005 to 2015, data breaches in the United States went from 157 to 1579. That is a massive increase in data breaches. This does not account for data breaches which are not reported.

When your information is leaked through a data breach, it can feel like a complete invasion of your privacy. In some cases, your personal life may suffer because of the time you put into correcting any errors but also the time you lose working. When you stay at a hotel, including MGM, the hotel should protect your information. When it’s not protected, the company breaches their duty to keep your information confidential and any resulting hardship and issues you face, could mean you can hold them liable for your damages.

Common Types of Data Breaches

A data breach is simply any leaked personal or confidential information. Most commonly, like with MGM, this happens with a hack. Hackers generally look for information like:

• Social security numbers
• Credit card information
• Bank account information
• Business address
• Home address
• Email address
• Passport number
• Driver’s license number
• Phone number

When you stay at an MGM resort, your information is most likely not stored directly with the resort. It’s usually stored in an online database managed by a third party. This adds to the complexity of your data breach claim because it means there are other people and companies who could be liable for your damages. These companies have an obligation to you to protect your personal information. If they are negligent in their duty and your information is hacked or leaked, you could bring a data breach claim against the companies. The best way to do this is to speak with a Las Vegas data breach lawyer who can help guide you through the process.

Steps to Take After a Data Breach

After a data breach, you could be at risk of identity theft. Even if your information was not hacked or leaked, it’s a good idea to clean up your online presence to ensure you stay safe. Here’s what you should do:

• Monitor your credit report. Your credit score is important because it gives you the ability to make large purchases like homes and vehicles. When your score is good, you may be able to get loans for these big purchases with little interest. Sign up for a credit reporting software. If a data breach impacted you, like the MGM breach, you may be able to get the cost of the credit monitoring service reimbursed.
• Monitor your credit cards and bank accounts. In a data breach, the leak may have compromised your credit cards or bank accounts. This requires diligence on your part to make sure there are no unauthorized charges to your credit cards or bank accounts. Over the past 15 years, over 1.6 billion accounts have been exposed online. Be proactive to keep your accounts safe.
• Change your passwords. When a data breach happens to you, it’s important that you change your passwords immediately. Even if you are not impacted by a data breach, it’s a good reminder that you should change your passwords and you should not duplicate your passwords.
• Act consciously, not quickly, on settlement offers. After the leak exposed your data through a data breach, the insurance company representing the negligent party might contact you and offer you a quick settlement. Most likely, this settlement offer will not include enough funds to cover your expenses, especially when you consider that you may have unknown expenses. Your information is accessible to many people with bad intentions and they may not act for months or even years. Accepting a low ball settlement offer may even bar you from bringing any future claims against the negligent party. This could leave you in financial hardship all because someone else failed to take proper steps to protect your personal and confidential data.

If your personal and confidential information was leaked in the MGM data breach or any other, you could receive compensation from the negligent parties for the damages you have suffered and those you may suffer in the future. A skilled and experienced Las Vegas data breach lawyer can help you take the right steps to ensure your data is protected and you get the compensation you deserve.

Speak with a Lawyer Today

Data breaches result from our always online world. This is a new and emerging area of law and one you should only trust to an experienced Las Vegas data breach lawyer. Your personal information defines you and has the potential to cause you great stress and harm. Take proactive steps today and discuss your options with Gina Corena & Associates.

Contact us online or at 702-680-1111 today. We look forward to helping you put your life back together.