Posted On February 16, 2023 Consumer Privacy & Data Breaches
February 16, 2023 – After an incident involving consumers’ confidential information being accessed by an unauthorized party, Meriplex Communications filed notice of a data breach with the multiple states’ attorney generals on February 10, 2023. According to the filings, an unauthorized party gained access to consumers’ names and Social Security numbers. Once the leak was confirmed, Meriplex Communications sent data breach notification letters to all individuals impacted by the security incident.
The data breach lawyers at Console & Associates, P.C. are actively investigating the data breach. If you received a data breach notification letter from Meriplex Communications and want to learn about the risks of identity theft and fraud and what you can do to protect yourself in situations like this, we offer free consultations where we can discuss your legal options for receiving financial compensation from Meriplex Communications.
Meriplex Communications is a software company that provides its clients with cybersecurity solutions, such as managed IT, SD-WAN, and cybersecurity. Meriplex Communications is based in Houston, Texas, but has several other locations throughout the United States, including Louisiana, Indiana, California, Oregon, Alabama, and Colorado. The company generates approximately $68 million in revenue annually and employs over 500 people.
According to filings with Attorney General’s offices in Texas, Massachusetts, and Montana, Meriplex Communications determined that confidential information had been accessed by an unauthorized third party on August 30, 2022. That information belonged to customers of Malaga Bank, one of the companies for which Meriplex provides IT services.
After learning that the consumer data was exposed to a third party, Meriplex Communications reviewed the files to determine what, if any, information had been made available. The company discovered that consumers’ names and Social Security numbers were compromised. While not consistent with each individual, any or all of the information listed may have been leaked due to the attack.
On February 10, 2023, Meriplex Communications sent letters to all individuals affected by the data security breach.
Meriplex Communications boasts of its expertise in cybersecurity. The company offers various IT services to many other companies as well. Normally, one wouldn’t think twice about giving their confidential information to such a company, assured that cybersecurity specialists would keep their information safe and secure. That assurance has been called into question due to the data breach. If you receive a notice of a data breach from Meriplex Communications, it means your name and Social Security number may now be in the hands of an unauthorized party.
There are many things that a hacker can do with those two pieces of sensitive information. Social Security numbers are often used to commit identity theft and fraud. That information can also be sold on the dark web to others looking to commit crimes using your information. Once hackers have basic information about you, it’s easy to collect more information about you, and then the crimes that can be committed become numerous. It’s important that you know your rights as a victim and the choices that you have.
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 Meriplex Communications 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 to all affected individuals:
Dear [Redacted],
Meriplex is writing to inform you of a recent incident that may impact the privacy of some of your personal information, including your name and Social Security number. Meriplex has access to your information because we provide some remote IT services to Malaga Bank. We would like to provide you with information about steps you may take to protect against any misuse of your information, should you choose to do so.
We take this incident and the security of your information seriously. Meriplex has implemented and will continue to update its network for additional security measures. As an added precaution, we are offering you access to 24 months of credit monitoring services through Equifax at no cost to you. We encourage you to enroll in these services, as we are not able to act on your behalf to enroll you. Instructions to enroll can be found with this letter.
We encourage you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing your account statements and monitoring your free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors. Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order your free credit report, visit [Redacted] or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. You may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of your credit report.
Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit. If you are a victim of identity theft, you are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any one of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.
As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a “credit freeze” on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer’s express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. However, you should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, you cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on your credit report.
We understand that you may have questions about this incident that are not addressed in this letter. If you have additional questions, please call our dedicated assistance line at 855-913-0436, 9am to 9pm Eastern, Monday through Friday, except major U.S Holidays. We take this incident very seriously and sincerely regret any inconvenience or concern this incident may have
caused you.
