T-Mobile controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
Back to profile16 entries
2022
TracFone discloses customer account compromise
Issue disclosure
TracFone said it had learned that malicious actors accessed a limited number of customer accounts and fraudulently transferred some phone numbers to other carriers. The article also reports complaints from approximately 6,000 subscribers. TracFone said it was taking steps to investigate the activity and improve account security.
Company response
Investigation — TracFone
Tracfone said they are taking action to uncover the fraudulent activity.
Remediation — TracFone
On top of this, they reportedly "made enhancements to improve the security of (your) mobile account."
Source excerpt
TracFone officially revealed the issue in a public notice.
we were recently made aware of bad actors gaining access to a limited number of customer accounts and, in some cases, fraudulently transferring, or porting out, mobile telephone numbers to other carriers.
Malicious actors transferred the accounts to different carriers without the users' consent. Straight Talk and Total Wireless subscribers are also affected by this data breach.
2021
T-Mobile discloses unauthorized customer-account access
Issue disclosure
T-Mobile disclosed that its cybersecurity team discovered and shut down malicious, unauthorized access to some information related to customer accounts. The company said it began an investigation, reported the matter to federal law enforcement, and was notifying impacted customers.
Company response
Investigation — T-Mobile
We immediately started an investigation, with assistance from leading cybersecurity forensics experts, to determine what happened and what information was involved.
Ongoing disclosure — T-Mobile
We also immediately reported this matter to federal law enforcement and are now in the process of notifying impacted customers.
Source excerpt
Our cybersecurity team recently discovered and shut down malicious, unauthorized access to some information related to your T-Mobile account.
The information that was obtained in the hack is called "proprietary network information" or "CPNI", this may include call records, like when a call was made, how long, caller’s phone number and the destination phone numbers.
They disclosed that they discovered an unauthorized access to some customers’ account information, including the data that T-Mobile makes and collects on its customers in order to provide cell service.
2021
T-Mobile sues Simply Wireless over alleged trademark infringement
Lawsuit filed
In 2021, T-Mobile filed a complaint against Simply Wireless alleging trademark infringement. According to the complaint, Simply Wireless continued to represent on its website that the two companies were partners even though they had no current business relationship. The filing describes these as allegations made in the lawsuit; the summary does not state any findings or outcomes.
Source excerpt
On Monday, T-Mobile US Inc. filed a complaint in the Western District of Washington against Simply Wireless Inc. for purported trademark infringement of T-Mobile’s trade name and trademarks by claiming a partnership between the parties, despite the parties not currently having a business relationship.
2021
Consumer sues T-Mobile over alleged SIM swap
Lawsuit filed
Richard Harris filed a complaint against T-Mobile USA, Inc., alleging that the company and its employees facilitated unauthorized access to his wireless account and SIM data in a SIM swap that led to the loss of his cryptocurrency. The allegations are not established as findings.
Source excerpt
A consumer, Richard Harris, filed a complaint on Tuesday in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against T-Mobile USA, Inc. for allegedly giving his account to an unknown third party, resulting in a loss of his cryptocurrency.
According to the complaint, the SIM Swap was “if not entirely perpetrated by, then at the very least effectuated and facilitated by T-Mobile and its employees.”
2021
T-Mobile CEO addresses data breach and security response
Company response
In 2021, T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert spoke publicly after a data breach affecting more than 50 million people. He said the breach was contained and that the investigation was substantially complete. T-Mobile also said it was partnering with Mandiant and KPMG to improve security.
Stated objective. tighten things up
Company response
Ongoing disclosure — T-Mobile
CEO Mike Sievert is speaking out.
Remediation — T-Mobile
To do something about it, T-Mobile is partnering with cybersecurity firm Mandiant and consultants at KPMG to tighten things up.
Source excerpt
Sievert says he’s taking a moment to update us now that the breach is contained and the investigation is “substantially complete.”
A recent T-Mobile data breach coughed up the information of more than 50 million people, including some who aren’t current customers or never were.
To do something about it, T-Mobile is partnering with cybersecurity firm Mandiant and consultants at KPMG to tighten things up.
2021
T-Mobile responds to customer data breach
Company response
Following a cyberattack that exposed personal information, T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert apologized to customers. He stated that the investigation was substantially complete and announced that the company would increase its investment in cybersecurity. T-Mobile also offered two years of free identity protection services to affected customers.
Company response
Apology — T-Mobile
Remediation — T-Mobile
It is offering two years of free identity protection services.
Investigation — T-Mobile
The investigation into the hack is “substantially complete,”
Clarification — T-Mobile
the company asserts it's "confident" to have closed all security holes during the breach.
Source excerpt
It is offering two years of free identity protection services.
The investigation into the hack is “substantially complete,” and there is no longer ongoing risk to customer data, Sievert said.
Reports from Engadget said that T-Mobile declined to comment on Binns' claims. Instead, the company asserts it's "confident" to have closed all security holes during the breach.
2021
T-Mobile discloses SIM-swap incident affecting a small number of customers
Issue disclosure
T-Mobile said a small number of customers were notified that SIM cards assigned to their account phone numbers may have been unlawfully reassigned or that limited account information may have been viewed. The company said its team quickly corrected the issue and took additional protective measures.
Company response
Remediation — T-Mobile
我们的团队通过此前就已准备好的保障措施迅速纠正了这个问题，积极主动地为他们采取了额外的保护
Source excerpt
我们通知了极少数客户，告知他们分配给其账户上的手机号码的SIM卡可能被非法重新分配了，或者被查看了有限的账户信息。
“Unauthorized SIM swaps are unfortunately a common industry-wide occurrence, however this issue was quickly corrected by our team, using our in-place safeguards, and we proactively took additional protective measures on their behalf,” T-Mobile said in its statement today.
T-Mobile US Inc. today disclosed that some of its customers have been targeted by hackers using a cyberattack tactic known as SIM swapping.
2021
T-Mobile data-breach lawsuits centralized in federal court
Ruling
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred more than 40 lawsuits concerning the August hack that exposed approximately 54 million T-Mobile customers’ personal information to federal court in Kansas City. T-Mobile supported consolidation and transfer.
Source excerpt
The lawsuit concerns an August hack exposing approximately 54 million T-Mobile customers’ personal information.
An order signed last Friday by the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) has transferred more than 40 lawsuits to federal court in Kansas City, Mo.
T-Mobile supported consolidation and transfer to the Western District of Missouri.
2021
T-Mobile faces lawsuits following data breach
Lawsuit filed
T-Mobile faced two lawsuits following the data breach. The complaints alleged that the company failed to adequately protect customer information and sought actions including compensation and reimbursement of costs.
Source excerpt
T-Mobile was issued two lawsuits following the breach of its data. The first, Espanoza v. T-Mobile USA, claimed that the company put plaintiffs at risk over its failure to adequately protect customers as a result of negligent conduct.
Sunday, August 22: T-Mobile faces pair of lawsuits in wake of data breach
2021
FCC investigates T-Mobile data breach
Investigation
The U.S. FCC began investigating the T-Mobile data breach. The article says the investigation was ongoing and that the cause of the breach had not been announced.
Source excerpt
据了解，美国 FCC 已经开始对这起严重泄露事件进行调查
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey has launched an investigation into a major data breach at wireless carrier T-Mobile, US, Inc. that compromised personally identifying information of over 50 million people nationwide, officials said Tuesday.
Healey said people around the world potentially have the personal information of tens of millions of T Mobile customers and she wants to find out what happened and why.
2021
T-Mobile discloses customer data breach
Issue disclosure
T-Mobile said a data breach compromised information associated with about 7.8 million postpaid accounts and more than 40 million records of current and potential customers. It said names, phone numbers and account PINs for roughly 850,000 active prepaid accounts were also exposed. The company said it would offer affected customers two years of free identity protection services and recommended that postpaid customers change their account PINs.
Company response
Remediation — T-Mobile
T-Mobile said it will offer affected customers two years of free identity protection services through McAfee.
Source excerpt
T-Mobile said it will offer affected customers two years of free identity protection services through McAfee. They're also recommending all postpaid customers change their account PINs.
The company said the names, phone numbers and account PINs for roughly 850,000 active prepaid accounts also were exposed.
T-Mobile said about 7.8 million postpaid accounts and more than 40 million records of current and potential customers were compromised by a data breach.
2021
T-Mobile confirms cyberattack and data breach
Issue disclosure
T-Mobile confirmed that it was targeted in a cyberattack and confirmed a data breach, but did not say whether customer data was affected. It said the vulnerability had been secured and was investigating an online forum claim that personal data was for sale; it had not confirmed that the data belonged to its customers.
Company response
Clarification — T-Mobile
In a statement, the telecommunications company confirmed the data breach, but would not say whether customer data was affected.
Remediation — T-Mobile
However officials said the vulnerability has been secured.
Investigation — T-Mobile
Meantime, T-Mobile is reportedly investigating an online forum claiming to be selling the personal data of over 100-million people.
Source excerpt
T-Mobile confirmed it suffered a data breach, however, the company said it’s still trying to determine whether any personal customer data was accessed.
The hack was first reported by Vice, which said T-Mobile was “investigating a forum post claiming to be selling a mountain of personal data.”
Meantime, T-Mobile is reportedly investigating an online forum claiming to be selling the personal data of over 100-million people.
2021
T-Mobile confirms unauthorized access to some data
Issue disclosure
T-Mobile confirmed that unauthorized access to some of its data had occurred. The company said it had not determined that personal customer data was involved; claims that information belonging to nearly 100 million customers had been compromised remained unverified.
Company response
Investigation — T-Mobile
Cyberscoop reporter Tonya Riley tweeted that the telecoms giant had told her it was confident it had sealed-off the security loophole that had allowed the hack to happen, and that it was working with law enforcement to investigate the crime.
Investigation — T-Mobile
T-Mobile has acknowledged the claims of the breach and have suggested that they are "actively investigating their validity."
Source excerpt
The hack was confirmed Monday afternoon, with a spokesman saying: 'We have determined that unauthorized access to some T-Mobile data occurred, however we have not yet determined that there is any personal customer data involved.'
The company said Monday that it has confirmed there was unauthorized access to “some T-Mobile data” but was still determining the scope of the breach and who was affected.
T-Mobile says it is investigating a leak of its data after someone took to an online forum offering to sell the personal information of cellphone users.
2020
T-Mobile discloses breach involving employee email accounts
Issue disclosure
T-Mobile disclosed that an attack against its email vendor led to unauthorized access to certain employee email accounts; some accounts contained customer and employee information. The source describes this as the second breach announced within four months.
Company response
Ongoing disclosure — T-Mobile
T-Mobile disclosed the latest breach in a recent notice to customers.
Source excerpt
“Our cyber-security team recently identified and shut down a malicious attack against our e-mail vendor that led to unauthorized access to certain T-Mobile employee e-mail accounts, some of which contained account information for T-Mobile customers and employees,” the company stated.
For the second time in a matter of four months, T-Mobile announced it has suffered a data breach.
The company said they’re still investigating the extent of the breach and if it’s going to impact customers.
2019
T-Mobile reports customer data breach affecting over one million people
Issue disclosure
T-Mobile reported unauthorized access to customer data affecting over one million customers. The accessed information included names, billing addresses, phone numbers, account IDs, and cellular plan details; the source says no financial information or passwords were exposed.
Company response
Remediation — T-Mobile
T-Mobile's security team has shut down the "malicious, unauthorized access" to its customers' data
Ongoing disclosure — T-Mobile
The company has notified users as mandated under telecom's regulations.
Source excerpt
The latest in a string of data breaches this year has been discovered by T-Mobile over the weekend, affecting over one million of its customers.
The company has notified users as mandated under telecom's regulations.
T-Mobile's security team has shut down the "malicious, unauthorized access" to its customers' data and the attempt has been reported to the authorities.
2019
T-Mobile discloses prepaid-customer account data breach
Issue disclosure
T-Mobile disclosed that an unauthorized third party accessed account information associated with an undisclosed number of customers using its prepaid services. The accessed information included names, billing addresses if provided, phone numbers, account numbers, rate plans and service features; T-Mobile said financial data and passwords were not involved.
Company response
Apology — T-Mobile
We truly regret that this incident occurred and apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you.
Ongoing disclosure — T-Mobile
T-Mobile alerted all impacted customers via SMS notifications
Source excerpt
T-Mobile alerted all impacted customers via SMS notifications
T-Mobile said today in a data breach notification that the account information of an undisclosed number of customers using the company's prepaid services was accessed by an unauthorized third-party.
"Our Cybersecurity team discovered and shut down malicious, unauthorized access to some information related to your T-Mobile prepaid wireless account," the breach notification says.