Flores & Associates, LLC, an administrative service provider for employee benefits, informed individuals about an incident involving the unintentional disclosure of personal data. The incident occurred on May 16, 2024, when Flores mistakenly sent a file containing COBRA participant information to an unintended recipient. Realizing the error quickly after sending the file, Flores took immediate action to correct the mistake. They contacted the recipient, confirmed that the file had been deleted, and ensured that no sensitive information was accessed or used.
The file contained personal details, including individuals’ first and last names, Social Security numbers, birthdates, addresses, and information regarding their plan coverage levels and COBRA status. After conducting a thorough review of the file’s contents and verifying the individuals whose information was included, Flores concluded that a notification was necessary. On June 12, 2024, Flores completed their investigation and sent letters to those impacted by the incident. Although there was no indication that the data was misused, Flores decided to proceed with caution by notifying all affected parties.
To further protect individuals’ personal information, Flores offered a complimentary 12-month subscription to credit monitoring and fraud resolution services. This service would help detect any unusual or suspicious activity related to the individuals’ personal or financial information. Additionally, Flores provided resources to aid affected individuals in activating their free credit monitoring and learning more about identity theft prevention. They emphasized the importance of these services to protect against potential identity theft following the incident.
Flores also outlined specific steps that individuals can take to safeguard their information, including regularly reviewing credit reports, account statements, and explanations of benefits (EOBs) for any suspicious or unauthorized transactions. In case any irregularities are detected, Flores encouraged individuals to immediately contact the financial institution or company involved. They also reminded individuals of the importance of taking precautionary measures like placing fraud alerts or security freezes on credit reports if necessary.
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