Posted On April 21, 2023 Consumer Privacy & Data Breaches
April 21 – Kimco Realty Corporation (referred to as “Kimco”), on April 14, 2023, notified the Texas Attorney General’s office that Weingarten Realty Investors (a company Kimco had recently acquired) had been the victim of a cyberattack that compromised the privacy of its customers’ personal information. A third party gained access to the personal information of some of the firm’s customers, including their names, birth dates, Social Security numbers, health insurance information, bank account information, and driver’s license numbers, according to an official filing by the company. After it was determined that customer information had been compromised, Kimco immediately started notifying those whose personal information had been compromised.
Console & Associates, P.C., data breach lawyers, are now looking into the Kimco Realty/Weingarten Realty Investors incident. We provide free consultations to anybody who has received a breach notice from Kimco Realty or Weingarten Realty Investors and wants to learn more about the dangers of identity theft and what they can do to protect themselves.
Kimco Realty Corporation, with headquarters in Jericho, New York, is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in the ownership and management of open-air, grocery-anchored retail malls and a portfolio of other mixed-use properties in and around major metropolitan regions. The stock of Kimco Realty Corporation (ticker symbol: “KIM”) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Kimco Realty has about 637 employees and produces almost $1.7 billion in yearly sales.
According to reports filed with the Attorney Generals of Montana and Texas, Kimco’s Weingarten Realty Investors IT network was breached on February 8, 2023. Kimco responded by notifying authorities, restoring systems, and working with outside cybersecurity experts to determine the full scope of the breach.
Kimco’s analysis of the hack proved that the perpetrators gained access to sensitive information stored on the Weingarten Realty Investors computer system. Kimco discovered via investigation that some of these files included private information on employees, beneficiaries, and others with business ties to Weingarten Realty Investors.
Kimco Realty immediately launched an investigation of the affected files after learning that sensitive customer data had been made accessible to an unauthorized person. Information such as names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, health insurance details, bank account numbers, and driver’s license numbers may have been compromised.
Data breach letters were sent out by Kimco Realty on April 14, 2023, to everyone whose personal information was exposed in the recent data security breach.
If Kimco sends you a notification that a data breach has occurred, it implies that the incident may have exposed your personal information. A third party may now have access to people’s complete identities and Social Security numbers.
As an employee, you may feel safe sharing your personal information with Weingarten Realty Investors because of the company’s solid reputation. Whether or whether Weingarten was prepared for or attentive to its security procedures is called into doubt by this data incident. While Kimco and Weingarten were likely affected by the incident, they also serve as the frontline in the attempts to stop hackers from stealing sensitive customer data. You may be eligible for financial compensation from Kimco Realty/Weingarten Realty Investors if it is shown that these organizations were negligent in their security procedures, such as by using outdated technology.
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 Kimco Realty Corporation 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 affected individuals:
Dear [Redacted],
We are writing to provide notice of a recent security incident relating to a legacy Weingarten Realty Investors (“WRI”) information technology network now operated by Kimco Realty Corporation (“Kimco”), following the August 2021 merger with WRI. On or about February 8, 2023, an unauthorized party carried out a successful cyberattack on certain WRI file servers and other IT infrastructure. We are now writing to confirm that personal information of former WRI employees, their beneficiaries, and select other individuals with a prior WRI commercial relationship was compromised in the attack, according to a detailed review.
What Happened?
Upon discovery of the incident in early February 2023, we took steps to lock down and restore the impacted WRI system, notified federal law enforcement authorities, and worked with leading digital forensics and restoration teams to investigate relevant details from the incident. Once the incident was contained, we initiated a detailed review, with the assistance of outside specialists, to identify the personal information belonging to individuals that was present in the files the threat actor removed from the WRI network. This work is now complete.
What Information is Involved?
We are notifying you because you were either (i) a former employee of WRI; (ii) a beneficiary affiliated with a former WRI employee; or (iii) someone who had a commercial relationship with WRI prior to its 2021 merger with Kimco. The information impacted by the recent security incident varies according to your status:
Former WRI Employees
– Birth date
– Social Security Number
– Health Insurance other benefit plan (i.e., pension) information
– Direct deposit information (bank and routing information)
– Driver’s license number (i.e., for individuals authorized to drive WRI fleet vehicles)
Beneficiaries of Former WRI Employees
– Birth date
– Social Security Number
– Health Insurance or other benefit plan (i.e., pension) information
Former Commercial Relationship with WRI
– Birth Date
– Social Security Number
– Driver’s license number
What Are We Doing?
We are happy to provide complimentary 24-month identity theft protection services through IDX, a data breach and recovery services expert. IDX identity protection services include: 24-months of credit and CyberScan monitoring, a $1,000,000 insurance reimbursement policy, and fully managed identity theft recovery services. With this protection, IDX will help you resolve issues if your identity is compromised.
We encourage you to contact IDX with any questions and to enroll in the free identity protection services by calling 1- 833-903-3648 or going to [Redacted] and using the Enrollment Code provided above. IDX representatives are available Monday through Friday from 9 am – 9 pm Eastern Time. Please note the deadline to enroll is July 14, 2023.
What You Can Do.
It is always good practice to be vigilant and regularly monitor consumer credit reports and financial transactions for any suspicious activity. You are entitled under U.S. law to one free credit report annually from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting agencies. To order your free credit report, visit [Redacted] or call toll-free at 1-877-322-8228. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission provides further guidance on steps you can take to protect your personal information, which you can access online at [Redacted]. Additional information on steps that you can take to protect your identity is attached to this letter. We encourage you to review these steps and to take appropriate action to prevent any misuse of your information.
For More Information.
For further information, please call 1-833-903-3648 during the hours of 9 am – 9 pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
