A data breach involving Coral Springs, Florida-based National Public Data has led to a wave of class-action lawsuits after it was revealed that millions of Americans' personal information, including Social Security numbers, may have been compromised.
Since August 1, eight separate lawsuits have been filed in the US District Court in Fort Lauderdale against the company, officially known as Jerico Pictures Inc.
Coral Springs Data Breach
According to The Detroit News, the breach, which National Public Data referred to as a "data security incident," was caused by an attempted hack by a "third-party bad actor" in December 2023.
The company admitted that this hack led to potential leaks of personal data in April and the summer of 2024. While the exact number of individuals affected remains undetermined, the compromised information is said to include names, email addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, and mailing addresses.
National Public Data, which markets itself as a provider of background checks and public records searches, has been under scrutiny since the breach was made public. The company's website touts its ability to deliver up-to-date information to employers and investigators, including criminal records, background checks, vital records, and asset searches.
The first lawsuit was filed by Christopher Hoffman, a resident of California, on August 1. Hoffman claims that his personal information was among the data stolen in the breach.
Lawsuit Accuses National Public Data of Negligence
According to the lawsuit, a cybercriminal group known as USDoD posted a database on a dark web forum in April, boasting that it contained the personal data of 2.9 billion individuals. The group allegedly listed the database for sale at $3.5 million, Bloomberg reported.
Hoffman's lawsuit accuses National Public Data of negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and other legal violations. He is seeking financial compensation and a court order requiring the company to implement stronger data security measures to prevent future breaches.
The lawsuit also claims that the stolen data goes beyond what the company has acknowledged, including details about family members and previous addresses spanning over 30 years.
In late July, Hoffman was alerted by his identity protection service that his information had been compromised due to the breach on the "nationalpublicdata.com" website. His case sparked a series of additional lawsuits, with seven more proposed class-action suits being filed against National Public Data since August 1.
These lawsuits similarly allege that the company failed to protect its customers' personal information and seek both monetary damages and stronger security measures.
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