Got terminated for “security breach” I didn’t commit + salary being withheld. What would you do? @Bruntwork

So I recently got terminated from a remote role I had through Bruntwork, and I’m trying to figure out if I’m being screwed over or if this is normal.

For context, I’ll be upfront:

• It was my first week
• I had some tardiness and was still adjusting
• Productivity wasn’t perfect yet

I already acknowledged those and honestly, fair enough if they want to let me go because of that.

But here’s where it gets weird.

They also hit me with a “serious breach of privacy and security protocols”, claiming that:

That’s a very serious accusation—and I 100% did NOT do that.

Here’s exactly what I did:

• Used Apollo to download leads (explicitly instructed by the client, Shani B. from CMIT)
• Transferred those leads into HubSpot (their CRM)
• Did some manual lead sourcing using publicly available data

That’s it.
No credential sharing. No third-party access. No weird tools.

I already emailed them asking for:

• timestamps
• IP logs
• device info Basically any proof of this “unauthorized access”

No response yet.

Now the part that really bothers me:
It looks like they’re also withholding my salary because of this allegation.

That doesn’t sit right with me at all—especially since I did work those hours.

I’m planning to escalate this internally (even up to the CEO if needed), but I’m trying to stay professional and not jump the gun.

My questions:

1. Has anyone experienced something like this with remote agencies/clients?
2. Can a company actually withhold pay over an unproven allegation like this?
3. If their “evidence” ends up being something like IP mismatch (VPN, dynamic IP, etc.), is that even solid grounds?
4. Any advice before I escalate this further?

Would really appreciate insights—this is my first time dealing with something like this and it feels a bit off.