Posted On January 20, 2023 Consumer Privacy & Data Breaches
January 20, 2023 – Farmers Investment Company, dba Green Valley Pecan Company, filed notice of a data breach with the Maine Attorney General’s office on January 18, 2023 after consumer information was exposed to unauthorized parties in a security incident. According to the filing, the information that was accessed included first and last names, driver’s license numbers, Social Security numbers, financial information, medical information, and health insurance information. Once Green Valley confirmed the data breach, they sent notification letters to all individuals affected by the breach.
The investigation by data breach lawyers at Console & Associates, P.C. into the breach is ongoing. If you have received a breach notification letter from Green Valley, you may be entitled to financial compensation from the company. We are offering free consultations to help victims of the attack learn about the risks of identity theft and what they can do to protect themselves now and in the future. If you recently received a NOTICE OF DATA BREACH from COMPANY, contact us at (866) 778-5500 to discuss your legal options, or submit a confidential contact form for a free case evaluation.
Farmers Investment Company, operating under the name Green Valley Pecan Company, is a pecan producer. Originally founded in 1937 and based in Sahuarita, Arizona, Green Valley now employs over 250 people and generates approximately $71 million in revenue annually. Farmers Investment Company also operates under other companies, including Sahuarita Farms, Sahuarita Pecan Festival, and Farmers Water Co.
According to the company’s filing with the Maine Attorney General, Green Valley realized that it had been breached after a disruption in the computer network. Green Valley immediately took steps to ensure the security of its system and began working with a third-party firm specializing in cybersecurity to investigate the incident. After the investigation was concluded, Green Valley determined that confidential consumer information had been leaked, including first and last names, driver’s license numbers, Social Security numbers, financial information, medical information, and health insurance information.
On January 18, 2023, Green Valley sent letters to all affected individuals informing them of the data breach.
The consumer privacy lawyers at Console & Associates, P.C. help customers affected by data and security breaches pursue legal solutions by offering free consultations. By explaining your rights in clear, concise terms, we help you make an informed decision about your next steps. If you are a victim of the Green Valley Pecan Company data breach, Console & Associates, P.C. will investigate at no charge to you and offer advice on how to proceed. If you decide to pursue a case, rest assured that we don’t get paid unless you do. If your claim is successful, legal fees are either paid out of the funds recovered or by the defendant. If your claim is not successful, you pay nothing.
To schedule your free consultation, just call (866) 778-5500 today or fill out our secure contact form.
Below is a portion of the letter sent out to affected individuals:
Dear [Redacted],
Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP (“Constangy”) represents Farmers Investment Co. (“FICO”) doing business as the Green Valley Pecan Company, parent company of its wholly owned subsidiary Farmers Water Co. (“FWC”), in connection with a recent data security incident described in greater detail below. The purpose of this letter is to notify you of the incident in accordance with Maine’s data breach notification statute.
Nature of the Security Incident
On or around May 31, 2022, FICO experienced a network disruption. In response, FICO immediately took steps to secure its digital environment and engaged a leading cybersecurity firm to assist with an investigation. Through the investigation, on August 26, 2022, FICO learned that personal information may have been accessed or acquired by an unauthorized individual. Following this confirmation, FICO engaged a vendor to conduct a thorough and extensive review of potentially affected files to determine what personal information may have been involved. Additionally, FICO began the process of locating mailing information and setting up services being offered, which was completed on January 3, 2023.
The individuals whose address information was available were notified via U.S. First-Class Mail on January 12, 2023. Additionally, FICO posted notice of the data security incident on the home page of its website on January 12, 2023.
The information affected varies by individual but may include individuals’ names, date of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, financial account and routing numbers, health insurance information, and/or certain health or medical information. To date, FICO has no evidence that any potentially impacted information has been misused in conjunction with the incident.
Number of Maine Residents Involved
On January 12, 2023, FICO notified ten (10) Maine residents of this data security incident via U.S. First-Class Mail. A sample copy of the notification letter sent to the impacted individuals are included with this correspondence.
Steps Taken to Address the Incident
To help prevent something like this from happening again, FICO has implemented additional technical security measures. FICO is also providing individuals with information about steps that they can take to help protect their personal information, and, out of an abundance of caution, it is also offering individuals complimentary credit monitoring and identity protection services through IDX.
Contact Information
FICO remains dedicated to protecting the information in its control. Please note that the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity practice group at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith has transferred to a new firm, Constangy, including our representation of FICO. If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at MEfaplomatidis@Constangy.com or 917.414.8991.
