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

Posted on behalf of Arnold Law Firm in
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.

Settlement - $3,767,000

Truck Accident

A 20-year-old man who had been married for just 12 days left home on his way to work. He was driving on Pleasant Grove Road in Sutter County in the early morning when he came upon a slow-moving truck. As he pulled out to pass the truck, the truck driver turned left in front of him. The young man attempted to steer back into his lane but his vehicle struck an un-flagged piece of metal extending from the back of the truck. He died in the resulting crash.

Expert witnesses brought in by the Arnold Law Firm proved that the truck, owned and operated by a hauling firm, should never have been on the highway that morning. Specifically, the rear and side turn signals did not work and the rear-view mirror was in a poor state of adjustment at the time of the collision. As a result, the driver, who had failed to properly inspect the vehicle before setting out that morning, couldn’t see the young man’s vehicle as it attempted to pass.

The poor condition of the truck, its lack of maintenance and the manner in which it was operated were found to be substantial factors in causing the collision that killed the young man. The testimony also established that the man had been making a lawful pass at the lawful speed limit and acted reasonably when he attempted to avoid the collision.

The man’s 20-year-old widow was awarded $3,767,000.77, his parents were awarded $185,131 and the family was reimbursed $11,899 in funeral expenses. Though money is a poor substitute for a young man’s life, this verdict demonstrates that drivers who endanger the lives of others will be held accountable for their actions.