Don Roberto Jewelers donroberto.com

Don Roberto Jewelers data breach: what happened and what to do

Don Roberto Jewelers was hit by a ransomware attack between February 16 and March 3, 2021 and discovered it around March 2. The company's filing with Maine's attorney general lists 197,187 people affected and says Social Security numbers were acquired. It offered 12 months of IDX identity protection.

View all 13,177 breaches
Breach date
16 Feb 2021
Affected
197,187
Data exposed
Social security numbers
Last updated

Reviewed by Anthon Wansland

Head of Product & Co-Founder

Serus is a privacy company with paid tools to find and remove your personal data. This page is free and based on official sources.

What happened

Don Roberto Jewelers, Inc. told state regulators that an external system breach ran from February 16 to March 3, 2021. The company's letter calls it a ransomware attack and says it discovered it on or about March 2, 2021 and told federal law enforcement.

Sources checked: maine.gov, oag.ca.gov, jckonline.com

Last verified against the official page:

How we research this Report an error

How many people

The company's filing with the Maine Attorney General lists 197,187 people affected in total, 2 of them Maine residents. Notification letters went out around March 31, 2021, and a notice template filed with the California Attorney General is dated April 14, 2021. One trade report puts the figure nearer 185,000 customers; the filing is the official figure.

What was exposed

The filing names Social Security numbers as the type of information acquired. A class action complaint describes a wider set that includes names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, customer account numbers and employment details. That is the plaintiffs' account, not the company's.

The response

The company offered 12 months of IDX identity protection, with an enrollment deadline of July 1, 2021. A customer sued in Orange County, California, and the company agreed to a $4 million settlement without admitting liability. The claim deadline was June 26, 2023.

If you had a purchase or financing account with the jeweler, your own letter says what applied to you.

What to do if you were in it

  1. 1

    Freeze your credit at all three bureaus

    A credit freeze is free and stops anyone opening new credit in your name. Place one at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion; the FTC explains how. A Social Security number is the key item an identity thief needs.

  2. 2

    Use the free credit monitoring if you still can

    Don Roberto Jewelers offered 12 months of IDX identity protection of free credit monitoring. The FTC recommends taking such offers. If you kept your letter, check whether the enrollment deadline has passed, and if it has, a credit freeze still protects you.

  3. 3

    Expect phishing that mentions the breach

    Jewelry, financing and payment scams can reuse real details. Don't click links or call numbers in unexpected messages. Go to the company's own website instead, and report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

  4. 4

    Report misuse and watch your reports

    Check your credit reports at annualcreditreport.com. If someone uses your details, report it at IdentityTheft.gov to get a recovery plan.

  5. 5

    Check whether your email or phone is in other breaches

    A free Serus scan checks breach databases for your email address and phone number, so you know what else is out there. Serus can't remove breach data, but it alerts you when your details turn up and tells you what to do.

Official filings

Timeline

  1. The breach happened

  2. Reported to the California Attorney General

Frequently asked

Was I affected by the Don Roberto Jewelers breach?

If the company mailed you a notice in spring 2021, yes. The company's filing lists 197,187 people in total.

Is there a settlement?

Yes. The company agreed to a $4 million class action settlement without admitting liability. The claim deadline was June 26, 2023, so it has passed.

What was exposed?

The filing says Social Security numbers. The class action complaint alleges more, including names, addresses and dates of birth.

Should I freeze my credit?

Yes, if your Social Security number was involved. A freeze is free at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

Sources

Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll re-check it.

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