Ocean County Residents Notified of Data Breach Involvement
TOMS RIVER, NJ — At least 17 residents of Ocean County have been informed by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that their personal information might have been exposed due to a data breach at a federal government contractor’s office. Ronald Heinzman, Director of the Ocean County Department of Consumer Affairs, confirmed that these residents had reached out to his office with concerns about the authenticity of the DOJ letters they received.
The breach involved Greylock McKinnon and Associates, a DOJ contractor, which suffered a ransomware attack. Norm Wong, Acting Director of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, indicated that the compromised data could include sensitive information such as names, addresses, Social Security numbers, birth dates, driver’s license numbers, and Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers. Wong reassured that the breach did not affect federal DOJ computer systems.
Residents contacted Heinzman’s office to verify the authenticity of the DOJ letters. Heinzman assured that the letters were indeed legitimate and originated from the DOJ. In response, his office issued letters to each individual confirming the validity of the DOJ correspondence.
Gary Quinn, Deputy Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners, commended Heinzman and his staff for their prompt investigation and response to the residents’ concerns. He emphasized the importance of their work in protecting the community from potential scams and fraudulent activities.