Long & Foster Companies, Inc. Data Breach Compromised Sensitive Client Information

Posted on behalf of Arnold Law Firm on Dec 16, 2020 in Data Breach

2020-12-16 15:31:00
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long & foster data breach

NOTICE: If you are a client, contractor, or employee of Long & Foster Companies, Inc. or one of its subsidiaries and received a NOTICE OF DATA BREACH, contact the Arnold Law Firm at (916) 777-7777.

On August 22, 2020, real estate firm Long & Foster Companies, Inc. (Long & Foster) experienced a ransomware attack involving several subsidiaries:

  • RGS Title, LLC
  • Sage Title Group, LLC
  • Long & Forster Insurance
  • Mid-States Title Insurance Agency, Inc.
  • Fonville Morisey Companies
  • Long & Foster Real Estate
  • Settlement Professionals, LLC
  • Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC

The ransomware disabled Long & Foster’s computer systems, blocked access to their files, and stole and encrypted data. It is not currently known whether Long & Foster paid a ransom to restore data or which hacker group was responsible for the attack. Personal information compromised in the cybersecurity incident includes:

  • Names
  • Dates of birth
  • W-2 details, including wages and withholding information
  • Form 1099 details, including tax-payer identification numbers, income and withholding information
  • Addresses
  • W-9 details
  • Telephone numbers
  • Social Security numbers
  • Bank account information for accounts where paychecks are deposited

Long & Foster claims to have notified law enforcement promptly. The firm is offering affected individuals two years of identity protection and credit monitoring services and has set up a dedicated call center at (866) 885-9271.

Established in 1968, Long & Foster was long known as the largest independent residential real estate company in the United States by transaction volume, with more than 11,000 agents in over 220 sales offices in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions.

Long & Foster maintains seven lines of business that support buying, selling, and owning real estate including the sale and purchase of residential (existing and new construction) and commercial properties and land; mortgage, title and settlement services, insurance and home warranties, property management, vacation rentals, new home sales and marketing for builders and developers, and corporate real estate services for relocation and business development.

In September 2017, Long & Foster Companies, Inc. was purchased by HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. With this transaction, HomeServices real estate professionals totaled more than 40,000 agents operating in 30 states and the District of Columbia. Estimated annual transactions facilitated exceed $120 billion in residential real estate sales, 340,000 home sale transactions, and 200,000 mortgage, insurance, title, and escrow transactions.

NOTICE: If you are a client, contractor, or employee of Long & Foster Companies, Inc. or one of its subsidiaries and received a NOTICE OF DATA BREACH, contact the Arnold Law Firm at (916) 777-7777 to discuss your situation and possible developing legal options.