Americans could seek a $5,000 bond in a class action lawsuit against a company that exposed personal information in a data breach that affected more than 8,900 people. Farmers Investment Company (FICO), trading as Green Valley Pecan Company, acknowledged this fiasco and filed a data breach notification with the Maine Attorney General’s Office, and now people have a deadline of December 16, 2024 to get their refunds. You can now claim.
Green Valley Pecan Company data breach puts 8,900 Americans at risk
Green Valley Pecan Company discovered that an unauthorized third party had hacked into its network and accessed sensitive information on its database. This includes an individual’s name, date of birth, driver’s license number, social security number, bank account and routing details, health insurance number, and medical information.
As soon as the breach was confirmed, the company issued a data breach notification to all affected individuals. This is mandatory so that people can protect themselves from fraud and identity theft. There are several ways that scammers and fraudsters can misuse people’s information.
Account takeover: Criminals can use your information to take over your account and transfer money. Phishing or Social Engineering: A scammer pretending to be you so they can deceive people in their circle. Loans or credits: Scammers may obtain credit or incur debt in your name. Data sales: Your information can be sold on the dark web for various criminal purposes.
How can I protect myself?
If you believe your information has been compromised, there are several steps you should take.
Monitor your account: Regularly check your bank and card statements for fraudulent activity and report any fraudulent activity immediately. Place a hold on new credit: Contact the credit bureaus and freeze any new credit or accounts opened in your name. Set a fraud alert: Setting a fraud alert on your credit report lets lenders know they need to be extra careful about verifying your identity. Update your password and authentication methods: Change your password and use additional authentication protection. Check your credit report: Your free credit report will tell you if someone is making inquiries or trying to open an account. Notify institutions: Inform your bank or any potentially affected institutions that your data has been compromised. Educate yourself: Be aware of the types of scams that exist and stay informed and apply the latest security practices.
Green Valley Pecan Company and legal filings
Legal documents filed by Green Valley Pecan Company with the Maine Attorney General’s Office provide several details about the network breach. On May 31, 2022, the company discovered a network outage, initiated a data security response plan, and took steps to protect its digital assets. We immediately engaged a third-party cybersecurity firm to mitigate the impact of the breach and protect information from further exposure. The same third-party company was also tasked with investigating the cause of the breach and how the crime occurred.
Claims, compensation and benefits process
The original class action lawsuit alleged that Green Valley Pecan Company was guilty of improperly protecting the personal information of more than 9,000 employees through lax data security. The company has agreed to settle the lawsuit, which applies to anyone who received a notification of a data breach.
Eligible claimants can fill out a compensation claim form on the company’s website ficodatasettlement.com by the December 16, 2024 deadline. The settlement provides for the following benefits or reimbursements:
Documented out-of-pocket costs are covered starting at $400 for “ordinary losses” and $4,000 for “extraordinary losses.” Time spent responding to a breach will be reimbursed at $15 per hour for up to three hours. 2 years of free credit monitoring services and $1 million in insurance coverage against identity theft.
Settlement payments will be processed after final court approval. The final hearing is scheduled for January 10, 2025.
