Alpha Omega Winery has notified individuals that it experienced a ransomware attack that occurred on or about December 27-28, 2023. According to the company, it launched an investigation after discovering the incident, brought in a national cybersecurity firm to determine what happened, and notified law enforcement. A forensic review later confirmed the intrusion took place over those two days in December 2023, though the letter itself is dated nearly two years later, which the company attributes to the time needed to complete a thorough review of the affected data.
The notice does not state how many people in total were affected, so it’s not possible to say how large this incident was based on the letter alone. What is clear is that if you received this letter, the company has determined that your specific personal information was likely present in the data involved.
What information was exposed?
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Driver’s license or State ID number
- Passport number
- Other government identification number
- Health insurance policy number
- Medical information
Alpha Omega Winery is offering affected individuals 24 months of free TransUnion credit monitoring, along with a free credit report, credit score, and fraud assistance services handled by Cyberscout. To enroll, visit https://bfs.cyberscout.com/activate and use the unique code included in your personal letter. You must enroll within ninety (90) days from the date of the letter to receive these services.
What should you do now?
- Enroll in the free TransUnion credit monitoring offered by the company as soon as possible, since it comes with a 90-day enrollment deadline.
- Because your Social Security number, driver’s license, and passport number may have been exposed, consider placing a fraud alert or a full security freeze with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — this is free and prevents new accounts from being opened in your name without extra verification.
- Given that health insurance and medical information were also involved, review any Explanation of Benefits statements from your insurer for services you don’t recognize, and contact your insurer if anything looks unfamiliar.
- Set up an Identity Protection PIN with the IRS to make it harder for someone to file a fraudulent tax return using your Social Security number.
- Watch your financial accounts and credit reports closely over the coming months, and consider signing up for a service like Aura or LifeLock, which can alert you if your information appears elsewhere.
- Report any suspicious activity or suspected identity theft to local law enforcement or your state Attorney General’s office right away.
If you have questions, Alpha Omega Winery can be reached at 1-800-405-6108, available 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.