A recent data breach at Duke Energy has left thousands of customers vulnerable, exposing personal information like Social Security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, and even birthdays. One of the victims, Matthew Saunders from St. Petersburg, Florida, has taken legal action, filing a class-action lawsuit in Charlotte’s U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina in December.
Matthew Saunders, who says he has always been cautious about protecting his personal details, learned about the breach through a letter from Duke Energy. The letter informed him that unauthorized individuals had accessed sensitive information, including his name, account number, address, email, phone number, date of birth, tax ID number, and Social Security number. He wasn’t alone—thousands of customers reportedly received the same letter.
This breach occurred in May, and Duke Energy issued a statement on its website at the time, warning customers about the possibility of unauthorized access to certain information through their public website. Saunders believes this incident puts thousands of customers at risk of identity theft.
In his lawsuit, Saunders is asking Duke Energy to revisit its data protection measures and potentially make changes to prevent future breaches. He also wants the company to delete any vulnerable customer information unless they can convincingly explain why it needs to be kept. Furthermore, Saunders demands that Duke Energy stop storing sensitive customer data on cloud-based systems and seeks financial compensation for affected customers. This includes damages for the trouble and potential harm caused by the breach.
Duke Energy, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a major electricity and natural gas provider, serving millions of customers across states like South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. The company has yet to respond to requests for comments about the lawsuit.
This isn’t the only legal trouble Duke Energy faces. In early December, the town of Carrboro, North Carolina, filed its own lawsuit accusing the company of deceiving the public about the dangers of greenhouse gases. The town, located about 30 miles west of Raleigh, claims Duke Energy knew about the harmful effects of greenhouse gases as far back as 1968 but continued to support their use, delaying the shift to renewable energy.
These lawsuits shine a spotlight on the challenges Duke Energy is facing, from addressing cybersecurity issues to tackling environmental concerns. For customers like Saunders and towns like Carrboro, these cases represent an effort to hold the company accountable for its actions and decisions.