Wakefield & Associates, a third-party healthcare debt collection agency, experienced a **data breach** in January 2025 after detecting suspicious network activity. An unauthorized actor gained access to files containing **protected health information (PHI)** of patients from their healthcare clients. The compromised data includes highly sensitive personal and financial details such as **names, Social Security numbers, financial account data, driver’s license numbers, state IDs, and health information**. The breach exposes affected individuals to **identity theft, financial fraud, and medical identity fraud**, given the nature of the stolen data. The incident has prompted a **class action investigation** by Edelson Lechtzin LLP, indicating potential legal and reputational consequences for Wakefield & Associates. Patients impacted by the breach are advised to monitor their credit reports and financial accounts for unauthorized activity. As a **healthcare-adjacent service provider**, the breach undermines trust in the company’s ability to safeguard sensitive data, potentially leading to regulatory scrutiny (e.g., HIPAA violations) and financial liabilities. The exposure of **SSNs and health records** elevates the risk of long-term harm to victims, including fraudulent medical claims or credit damage.
Wakefield cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/wakefield-&-associates-inc
"id": "wak2802128111225",
"linkid": "wakefield-&-associates-inc",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "1/2025",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Healthcare (Medical Billing & Debt '
'Recovery)',
'name': 'Wakefield & Associates',
'type': 'Third-party collection agency'}],
'customer_advisories': 'Likely issued (not specified in detail)',
'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Likely (files accessed by unauthorized '
'actor)',
'personally_identifiable_information': ['Names',
'Social Security '
'numbers',
'Driver’s license '
'numbers',
'State IDs',
'Financial account '
'data'],
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (includes SSNs, financial data, '
'health records)',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Protected Health Information '
'(PHI)',
'Personally Identifiable '
'Information (PII)',
'Financial data']},
'date_detected': '2025-01-17',
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2025-11-11',
'description': 'Wakefield & Associates, a third-party healthcare collection '
'agency, experienced a data breach on or about January 17, '
'2025. An unauthorized actor accessed files containing '
'protected health information (PHI) of healthcare clients’ '
'patients, including names, Social Security numbers, financial '
'account data, driver’s license numbers, state IDs, collection '
'account details, and health information. The incident is '
'under investigation by Edelson Lechtzin LLP for potential '
'class action litigation.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Potential (class action lawsuit '
'investigation)',
'data_compromised': ['Names',
'Collection account details',
'Social Security numbers',
'Financial account data',
'Driver’s license numbers',
'State IDs',
'Health information'],
'identity_theft_risk': 'High (PHI and PII exposed)',
'legal_liabilities': 'Potential (class action lawsuit by Edelson '
'Lechtzin LLP)',
'payment_information_risk': 'High (financial account data exposed)',
'systems_affected': ['Network files']},
'initial_access_broker': {'high_value_targets': 'Protected Health Information '
'(PHI) and financial data'},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing (class action investigation by Edelson '
'Lechtzin LLP)',
'recommendations': ['Monitor credit reports and account statements for '
'suspicious activity',
'Take steps to protect against identity theft and fraud'],
'references': [{'date_accessed': '2025-11-11',
'source': 'Globe Newswire Press Release'},
{'source': 'Edelson Lechtzin LLP',
'url': 'https://www.edelson-law.com'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': 'Potential class action lawsuit '
'(under investigation by Edelson '
'Lechtzin LLP)'},
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Public disclosure via press release '
'(2025-11-11); customer advisories '
'likely issued (not specified)',
'incident_response_plan_activated': 'Yes (investigation '
'conducted)'},
'threat_actor': 'Unauthorized actor',
'title': 'Wakefield & Associates Data Breach',
'type': 'Data Breach'}