CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) – An Illinois internet subscriber alleges a global telecommunications conglomerate unlawfully opened mobile accounts for cable and internet customers without their knowledge or consent, subjecting them to fraud.
Elizabeth O'Neil filed a complaint individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated on June 19 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division against Comcast Corp. and Comcast Cable Communications LLC, doing business as Xfinity Mobile citing the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act and other counts.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that in November 2017 and January 2018, she was notified that several cellphones were charged to her account and shipped to various addresses in the country through Xfinity Mobile.
"Plaintiff learned that after automatically opening Xfinity Mobile accounts for customers without their knowledge or consent, defendants created the ability to purchase cellphones and order cell service through their website using already established account information from customers’ Xfinity internet and cable accounts," the suit states.
"Alleged identity thieves infiltrated the unauthorized Xfinity Mobile accounts of numerous other Comcast customers and made similarly cellphone purchases using its customers’ purportedly protected personal and account information," according to the suit.
The plaintiff holds Comcast Corp. and Comcast Cable Communications LLC, doing business as Xfinity Mobile, responsible because the plaintiff and the class allegedly were deceived by the defendants' failure to protect their personal information and the defendants allegedly wrongfully opened Xfinity Mobile accounts without the consent or knowledge of consumers.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks granting of injunctive and declaratory relief, all damages and legal fees allowed by law, including pre- and post-judgment interest. She is represented by William M. Sweetnam and Natasha Singh of Sweetnam LLC in Chicago.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division case number 1:18-cv-04249