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In this age of technology, amidst a world of encroaching cybersecurity threats, your personal information is more vulnerable than ever. Cafferty Clobes Meriwether & Sprengel has the experience and expertise litigating data breach matters, providing compensation to victims of data breaches and requiring businesses to enhance their data security practices to protect their consumers. If you think your information may have been compromised in a data breach, please call us at 312.782.4880 or reach us via email at lnichols@caffertyclobes.com.
On August 26th, 2023, Western Washington Medical Group (WWGM), experienced a data security incident that breached highly sensitive personal and health-related information belonging to its current and former patients. This data breach occurred due to a “hacking / IT incident” where an unauthorized party gained access to WWGM’s network environment.
Western Washington Medical Group has disclosed that 350,863 people’s highly sensitive information was breached. The information accessed within the breach includes but is not limited to an individual’s first and last name, address, Social Security number, date of birth, medical record number, health insurance policy number, and information about your medical history, mental or physical condition, or medical diagnosis or treatment.
The Western Washington Medical Group data breach is a serious matter that could inflict far-reaching consequences for those affected. The exposure of personally identifiable information, especially names and Social Security numbers, poses a significant risk of identity theft, such as criminals opening financial accounts, taking out loans, filing fraudulent tax returns, and obtaining government services in the victim’s name. Personally identifiable information can also be exposed on the Dark Web, which poses a serious threat toward the privacy and safety of many individuals. According to a recent FTC survey, the total cost of identity theft is nearly $50 billion per year, with victims losing an average of nearly $5,000 from the misuse of their personal and financial information. The exposure of protected medical information can pose an even greater danger of identity theft—such as obtaining medical services in the victim’s name, which will be charged to the victim.
Patients of Western Washington Medical Group, you have been exposed to a heightened risk of fraud and identity theft and must now closely monitor your financial accounts. You could be at risk of incurring additional out-of-pocket costs for purchasing credit monitoring services, credit freezes, credit reports, or other protective measures to deter and detect identity theft.
Cafferty Clobes Meriwether & Sprengel has the experience and expertise litigating data breach matters, providing compensation to victims of data breaches and requiring businesses to enhance their data security practices to protect their consumers. If you suspect your sensitive personal or medical information may have been compromised in the Western Washington Medical Group data breach, you must take action to protect both your personal and financial well-being. Please call us at 312.782.4880 or reach us via email at lnichols@caffertyclobes.com.
November 15, 2023Share on Social Media
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