A Nike data breach that occurred around January 21, 2026 has resulted in a lawsuit being filed by Maria Gomez of California who is seeking class action status to represent all of the victims of the data breach.   The lawsuit claims that while Nike became aware of the data breach around January 21st, it did not notify its affected customers until February 25, 2026.  The lawsuit alleges the stolen data included names, email addresses, billing addresses, phone numbers and credit and debit card information.  Nike claims that complete card details were not compromised.

The lawsuit alleges that Nike was negligent in not taking reasonable steps to protect the data of its customers and is seeking at least $5 million as well as free credit monitoring and identity theft protection for victims of the data breach as well as a court order requiring Nike to enhance its data security.

TIPS

This data breach is a good example of why you should never leave your credit card on file with any company, but rather provide it anew each time you shop.   And while your liability for fraudulent use of your credit card is limited by law to no more than $50, when you use your debit card, you are making a direct withdrawal from the bank account tied to your card.  If your debit card security is breached such as in a data breach your liability is five hundred dollars if you do not report the fraudulent use within two business days after learning of the breach and if you are not regularly monitoring your bank statements and do not report the fraudulent use for more than sixty days after your bank statement with the fraudulent charges is sent to you, your liability is unlimited.  This is why you should only use your debit card at ATMs and not for direct shopping.

The first thing data breach victims should do is freeze their credit if they have not already done so.  Freezing your credit is actually something everyone should do.  It is free and easy to do.  In addition, it protects you from someone using your identity to obtain loans or make large purchases even if they have your Social Security number.  If you have not already done so, put a credit freeze on your credit reports at each of the major credit reporting agencies.  Here are links to each of them with instructions about how to get a credit freeze:

Everyone also should monitor their credit reports regularly for indications of identity theft.  The three major credit reporting agencies now provide free weekly access to your credit reports so you can monitor your credit reports easily on your own.  Here is the only link to use to get your free credit reports.https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action
Some scammers have websites that appear to offer “free” credit reports, but if you read the fine print, you often may find that you have signed up for unnecessary services.
Finally, be wary of anyone who calls you asking for personal information in regard to these data breaches as that is a favorite tactic of the hackers to lure you into providing personal information that can lead to your becoming a victim of identity theft.  Scammers often pose as the breached company and contact victims of the data breach to convince them to provide personal information.

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