McCune Law Group Alleges TikTok Retaliated Against Employee for Exposing Criminal Fraud in Landmark Whistleblower Case

ONTARIO, Calif., Oct. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 8, 2024, McCune Law Group (MLG), a leading consumer rights firm specializing in Employment Law, Whistleblower Retaliation, and Class Action Litigation filed a complaint in the Superior Court of Santa Clara County on behalf of a plaintiff who alleges that TikTok Inc. wrongfully terminated his employment when he exposed internal practices which have allowed data security violations, fraudulent transactions, and terrorist activity to flourish across the platform.

The lawsuit alleges that in May of 2023, the plaintiff was hired by TikTok as a Fraud Strategy Expert. Within his first six months at the company as a Fraud Strategy Expert employee, he had discovered multiple instances of fraudulent activity affecting the platform's users. One significant attack involved the exchange of as much as $1,000,000 in fraudulent transactions. Upon reporting this activity, however, the Fraud Strategy expert employee was instructed only to pursue cases which posed a direct financial threat to TikTok itself. 

The lawsuit goes on to allege that on October 7, 2023, Hamas' attack on Israel saw a significant spike in fraudulent activity on TikTok. The Fraud Strategy expert employee's investigations identified several accounts which were likely connected to and collecting funds for Hamas' terrorist activities. Despite the serious implications of this discovery, TikTok's response was limited; in one instance, the company even chose to expand rather than curtail a practice the Fraud Strategy Expert employee had identified as vulnerable to criminal exploitation. As the Fraud Strategy Expert employee continued to report accounts affiliated with Hamas' network and bring to light weaknesses in TikTok's fraud detection processes, he was marginalized, ignored, and subjected to unwarranted scrutiny rather than supported. Following an early July instance in which the Fraud Strategy Expert employee expressed concern that U.S. users' private data was being made accessible to parent company ByteDance's international employees – a clear violation of U.S. data sharing policies – he was placed on a mandatory Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) and threatened with termination if he did not accept. On July 29, 2024, TikTok's retaliatory actions reached their peak when the Security Fraud Expert employee was terminated without just cause.

McCune Law Group's lawsuit alleges that the Fraud Strategy Expert Employee was wrongfully terminated for exposing practices which TikTok may have had a vested interest in concealing. "This case exposes a concerning pattern of behavior at TikTok, from the appearance of their actions, it seems that profits were placed above stopping fraud and other criminal activity on its platform," says lead MLG attorney Richard McCune. Gavin Kassel, the lead employment attorney on the case, also stated that "As the lawsuit alleges, our client was retaliated against for simply doing his job—raising red flags about fraudulent activities and security violations that the company chose to ignore. We intend to hold TikTok accountable for its unlawful practices."   

MLG encourages anyone with relevant information or individuals who have experienced similar action from their employers to come forward. The firm is dedicated to defending workers' rights, protecting consumers, and demanding accountability from even the most bullish corporations.

To obtain comments regarding this case matter, contact McCune Law Group's Public Relations department at jrb@mccunewright.com

About McCune Law Group: MLG has supported consumer rights and fights for justice for more than 30 years. With offices throughout Southern California in Ontario, Redlands, Irvine, Rancho Mirage, and Lafayette in Northern California, MLG has proudly risen to prominence as one of the largest and most successful consumer advocacy law firms in the region. MLG also boasts a national presence and specializes in practice areas ranging from product liability and personal injury to employment law and financial services. MLG's long history of success has resulted in more than $1 billion recovered for clients and an unbeatable team of inventive, innovative, and experienced attorneys. Visit mccunewright.com to learn more.  

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SOURCE McCune Law Group, McCune Wright Arevalo Vercoski Kusel Weck Brandt, APC