Recently, Assured Relocation, Inc. confirmed that, as the result of an unauthorized party gaining access to an employee’s email credentials, the names, addresses, and Social Security numbers of certain consumers were compromised.

If you received a data breach notification, it is essential you understand what is at risk. More about our investigation into this breach, and what you can do if your data was stolen, is available here.

What We Know So Far About the Assured Relocation Data Breach

Assured Relocation, Inc. is a company that provides temporary housing such as hotel stays, corporate apartments for short term stays, as well as homes, apartments and specialty units. The company most often arranges for temporary housing solutions for those who experienced home damage due to a catastrophe, such as a fire or a flood. Assured Relocation often works with the insurance company to find suitable housing options for insured parties. The company is based in Redwood City, California.

According to a letter issued by the company to affected parties, sometime last year Assured Relocation, Inc. noticed suspicious activity related to an employee’s email account. The company secured the email account and launched an internal investigation to determine what, if any, consumer information the unauthorized party gained access to. On January 14, 2022, Assured Relocation confirmed that some emails or attachments contained the names, addresses and Social Security numbers of certain consumers. The unauthorized party had access to the employee’s email account on May 4, 2021.

On March 3, 2022, Assured Relocation filed official notice of the data breach and may soon begin to send out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was contained in the affected files.

More About the Causes and Risks of Data Breaches

Often, data breaches are the result of a hacker gaining unauthorized access to a company’s computer systems with the intention of obtaining sensitive consumer information. While no one can know the reason why a hacker targeted Assured Relocation, it is common for hackers and other criminals to identify those companies believed to have weak data security systems or vulnerabilities in their networks.

Once a cybercriminal gains access to a computer network, they can then access and remove any data stored on the compromised servers. While in most cases a company experiencing a data breach can identify which files were accessible, there may be no way for the company to tell which files the hacker actually accessed or whether they removed any data.

While the fact that your information was compromised in a data breach does not necessarily mean it will be used for criminal purposes, being the victim of a data breach puts your sensitive data in the hands of an unauthorized person. As a result, you are at an increased risk of identity theft and other frauds, and criminal use of your information is a possibility that should not be ignored.

Given this reality, individuals who receive an Assured Relocation data breach notification should take the situation seriously and remain vigilant in checking for any signs of unauthorized activity. Businesses like Assured Relocation are responsible for protecting the consumer data in their possession. If evidence emerges that Assured Relocation failed to adequately protect your sensitive information, you may be eligible for financial compensation through a data breach lawsuit.

What Are Consumers’ Remedies in the Wake of the Assured Relocation Data Breach?

When customers decided to do business with Assured Relocation, they assumed that the company would take their privacy concerns seriously. And it goes without saying that consumers would think twice before giving a company access to their information if they knew it wasn’t going to be secure. Thus, data breaches such as this one raise questions about the adequacy of a company’s data security system.

When a business, government entity, non-profit organization, school, or any other organization accepts and stores consumer data, it also accepts a legal obligation to ensure this information remains private. The United States data breach laws allow consumers to pursue civil data breach claims against organizations that fail to protect their information.

Of course, given the recency of the Assured Relocation data breach, the investigation into the incident is still in its early stages. And, as of right now, there is not yet any evidence suggesting Assured Relocation is legally responsible for the breach. However, that could change as additional information about the breach and its causes is revealed.

If you have questions about your ability to bring a data breach class action lawsuit against Assured Relocation, reach out to a data breach attorney as soon as possible.

What Should You Do if You Receive an Assured Relocation Data Breach Notification?

If Assured Relocation sends you a data breach notification letter, you are among those whose information was compromised in the recent breach. While this isn’t a time to panic, the situation warrants your attention. Below are a few important steps you can take to protect yourself from identity theft and other fraudulent activity:

1. Figure Out What Information Was Stolen: Carefully review the data breach letter sent by Assured Relocation, keeping in mind the information you provided to the company as well as the type of data that was compromised in the breach. You should also take a copy of the data breach letter and keep it for your records. Of course, data breach letters are not always easy to understand. A consumer privacy lawyer can help victims of a data breach understand what was compromised and how to protect themselves.

2. Prevent the Hacker from Accessing Your Accounts: Once you determine the scope of the breach and how it affected you, you should take all steps to prevent cybercriminals from accessing your credit or financial accounts. For example, you should change all passwords and security questions for your online accounts. You should also consider setting up multi-factor authentication where it is available.

3. Protect Your Credit and Your Financial Accounts: In the wake of a data breach, companies usually provide free credit monitoring services for a specified period of time. This is not a gimmick, and you do not give up any rights by taking a company up on their offer. Additionally, you should contact one of the three main credit bureaus to request a copy of your credit report. Even if you do not notice any signs of fraud or unauthorized activity, it is a good idea to request a fraud alert. Fraud alerts are free and serve as a red flag to potential lenders and creditors that your information was compromised.

4. Consider a Credit Freeze: A credit freeze prevents access to your credit report unless you specifically authorize it. Credit freezes are free and last until you remove them. While placing a credit freeze on your accounts may initially seem like a drastic measure, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center (“ITRC”), doing so is the “single most effective way to prevent a new credit/financial account from being opened.” However, ITRC reports that just 3% of consumers whose information is leaked place a freeze on their accounts. Once a credit freeze is in place, you can temporarily lift the freeze if you need to apply for any type of credit.

5. Regularly Monitor Your Credit Report and Financial Accounts: Protecting yourself in the wake of a data breach is not a one-time task. You should continually monitor your credit report and all financial accounts, keeping an eye out for any signs of unauthorized activity or fraud. You may also consider calling your banks and credit card companies to report the fact that your information was compromised in a data breach.

Below is a copy of the initial data breach letter issued by Assured Relocation:

Dear [Consumer],

Assured Relocation, Inc. is writing to inform you of an incident that may have involved some of your information. This notice explains the incident, measures we have taken, and provides additional steps you may consider taking.

What Happened?

We concluded an investigation into suspicious activity originating from an employee’s email account. As soon as we became aware of the activity, we took immediate steps to secure the email account and a cybersecurity firm was engaged to assist in a forensic analysis of the incident. Our investigation determined that an unauthorized individual accessed an employee’s email account on May 4, 2021. Although our investigation did not find evidence that any emails or attachments in the account were viewed, we could not rule out that possibility. Therefore, we conducted a thorough review of the entire contents of the account to determine the specific individuals whose information was contained within the emails and attachments.

What Information Was Involved?

We analyzed the results and on January 14, 2022, determined that an email or attachment in the account included some of your information, including your name, address, and Social Security number.

What We Are Doing.

Your confidence and trust are important to us, and we regret any inconvenience or concern this incident may cause. To further protect your information, we have implemented additional measures to enhance our existing security protocols and are re-educating our staff for awareness of these types of incidents. Additionally, we are offering you a complimentary one-year membership to identity theft protection services through Experian, which includes 12 months of credit monitoring, a $1,000,000 insurance reimbursement policy, and fully managed ID theft recovery services.

What You Can Do.

We encourage you to remain vigilant by reviewing your account statements and credit reports for any unauthorized activity over the next 12 to 24 months. If you see unauthorized charges or activity, please contact your financial institution immediately. For more information, including some additional steps you can take to help protect your information, please see the pages that follow this letter.

For More Information.

We regret this incident occurred and apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any questions, please call 844-624-1955, Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Pacific Time.