Posted On January 16, 2023 Consumer Privacy & Data Breaches
January 16, 2023 – Circles of Care, Inc. filed a notice of data breach on January 3, 2023 with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights after discovering that there was unauthorized access to confidential patient information within the company’s computer system. According to the filing, information accessed included patients’ names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, driver’s license numbers, phone numbers, financial account information, and medical information such as provider names and diagnosis information. After confirming the leak, Circles of Care sent notification letters to all 61,170 individuals that were affected by the breach.
The investigation into the breach by the data breach lawyers at Console & Associates, P.C. is ongoing. As a victim of the breach, you need to know your options. We are offering free consultations to all individuals who were affected by the leak so we can help you figure out your next steps and let you know whether you can pursue a data breach lawsuit against Circle of Care. 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.
Circles of Care, Inc. is a behavioral healthcare provider that offers services such as alcohol and drug abuse, mental health, and other related services. Based in Valrico, Florida, Circle of Care has many locations, including Harbor Pines, Twin Rivers, South Area Outpatient, Cedar Village, North Area Outpatient, Sheridan Oaks, and more. The company generates approximately $40 million in revenue annually and employs over 435 people.
According to the filing with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights and a notice posted on the company’s website, Circles of Care noticed suspicious activity in the company’s computer network on September 21, 2022, prompting the company to secure its computer systems and work with third-party cybersecurity specialists to investigate.
Upon further investigation, the company discovered that an unauthorized party had accessed its computer system and confidential files on September 6, 2022. Circles of Care then resolved to review the files and determine what information had been leaked. Though varying by individual, the information accessed was patients’ names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, driver’s license numbers, phone numbers, financial account information, and medical information such as provider names and diagnosis information.
On January 3, 2023, Circles of Care notified all individuals affected by the data breach. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, 61,170 people were affected by the breach.
Once confidential information is in the hands of a hacker, they don’t wait long before using the information or selling it on the dark web. As a victim of the breach, you have to move fast to do what you can to mitigate the damages that may be caused by the leak of your information because hackers usually have a head start.
Below is a list of steps you can take as soon as you find out that you were a victim of a data breach. This is not a comprehensive list, and you may wish to take additional steps if your financial information has been released.
Companies that have been breached are required to report the incident to all victims of the breach as well as the states where those victims live. Carefully read over the information provided by Circles of Care. Data breach letters often contain pertinent information about the breach, such as how the hackers gained access to the computer network, what steps the company is taking to ensure patient security in the future, and if any victims of the breach have reported fraud or identity theft.
Though credit monitoring services usually cost a monthly fee, companies that have been breached usually offer victims these services free of charge. Take advantage of this service for as long as the company offers it. Taking a company up on an offer for free credit monitoring does not disqualify you from pursuing a data breach lawsuit.
It’s always a good idea to sign up for fraud alerts and do a freeze on your credit. They are both services offered by the major credit bureaus free of charge. A fraud alert will alert any companies checking your credit that someone may be looking to commit fraud with your information. A credit freeze will stop anyone from checking your credit without your approval.
It is also a good idea to continue to monitor your accounts and credit profile for months after a data breach. Hackers are usually quick to use any information they get their hands on, but it’s not always the case. If you detect any suspicious activity within your financial accounts, report it.
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 Circles of Care 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 notice posted on their website:
Circles of Care, Inc. (“Circles of Care”) is committed to protecting the privacy and security of the personal information we maintain. We are making individuals aware of an incident that may affect the privacy of certain employee and patient health information. We are providing notice of the incident so that potentially affected individuals may take steps to protect their information, should they feel it appropriate to do so.
What Happened? On September 21, 2022, Circles of Care detected suspicious activity on our network. After discovering this, we quickly took steps to evaluate and ensure the security of our systems and operations. Further, we immediately engaged third-party independent cybersecurity experts to conduct an investigation into the incident.
On November 29, 2022, our investigation discovered, an unauthorized individual accessed our systems on or about September 6, 2022, and potentially obtained some information. To date, we are not aware of any reports of identity fraud or improper use of personal information as a direct result of this incident. Out of an abundance of caution, we are providing notice of the incident to individuals whose information was potentially impacted and explaining the services we are making available.
What Information Was Involved? The potentially impacted data included first and last name, date of birth, social security number, address, phone number, driver’s license number, bank routing and account numbers, medical account number, provider name, service dates, diagnosis, and medical procedure codes.
What Circles of Care Is Doing. The security and privacy of the information contained within our systems is a top priority for us. In response to this incident, we took immediate steps to secure our systems and engaged third-party forensic experts to assist in the investigation. Further, we are implementing additional cybersecurity safeguards, as needed, enhancing our employee cybersecurity training, and improving our cybersecurity policies, procedures, and protocols to help minimize the likelihood of this type of incident occurring again.
What You Can Do. We encourage potentially affected individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing account statements and explanation of benefit forms. We also recommend monitoring your free credit reports to detect errors or identify suspicious activity. Individuals may also review and consider the information and resources outlined in the below “Other Important Information.”
For More Information. For individuals seeking more information or who have questions, please call the dedicated toll-free helpline at 1-800-660-9657. In addition, individuals seeking to contact Circles of Care directly may write to [Redacted] or 400 E. Sheridan Rd., Melbourne, FL 32901.
