Atlas Real Estate Group data breach from employee email - Integrity Technologies
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Atlas Real Estate Group data breach from employee email

The class action settlement in Pan v. Atlas Real Estate Group, LLC has officially extended its claim deadline to May 28, 2025, giving affected individuals additional time to file claims. atlasdatabreachsettlement.com Prior to that extension, the deadline had been April 2, 2025. Claim Depot

The settlement, preliminarily approved in December 2024 by a Colorado federal court, allows class members to claim benefits such as credit monitoring, reimbursement for verified losses, compensation for lost time, and in some cases up to $5,000 for documented, extraordinary losses. Law360+2Claim Depot+2

What Led to the Lawsuit: The November 2022 Breach

The Incident & Exposure

  • In November 2022, Atlas Real Estate Group detected an intrusion into its systems via what the complaint describes as an old employee email account. ClassAction.org+2ClassAction.org+2

  • The breach affected approximately 4,539 consumers, and disclosed data including full names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and financial account details. ClassAction.org+2ClassAction.org+2

  • Plaintiffs allege that Atlas delayed notifying affected individuals by approximately 140 days (from November 2022 to late March 2023). ClassAction.org+1

The Litigation: Pan v. Atlas Real Estate Group, LLC

  • The class action was filed on April 12, 2023 in the U.S. District Court for Colorado. ClassAction.org+1

  • Key allegations include failure to adopt reasonable data security measures, negligence, breach of implied contract, unjust enrichment, and violation of consumer protection statutes (e.g., Colorado’s consumer laws). ClassAction.org+2ClassAction.org+2

  • Plaintiffs argue that Atlas’ delayed disclosure deprived victims of the opportunity to mitigate harm sooner. ClassAction.org+2ClassAction.org+2

In December 2024, a judge gave preliminary approval to the settlement, which provides for monetary compensation and other remedies for class members. Law360

Settlement Terms in Detail

  • The total settlement fund is $215,000. Claim Depot+1

  • Eligible class members (i.e., U.S. residents who received a notice from Atlas) could claim:

    1. Credit Monitoring: Two years of monitoring plus identity theft insurance (up to $1,000,000). Claim Depot+1

    2. Ordinary Losses: Up to $2,000 per person for documented, reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses (e.g. fraud, professional fees). Claim Depot+2Law360+2

    3. Lost Time: Up to $80 per person (4 hours at $20/hour) for time spent addressing the breach. Claim Depot

    4. Extraordinary Losses: Up to $5,000 for documented unreimbursed monetary losses caused by the breach. Claim Depot+2Law360+2

    5. Alternative Cash Payment: A one-time $50 cash payment (if class member opts out of other benefits). Claim Depot+1

  • The Final Approval Hearing was scheduled for April 23, 2025, with payouts to follow after the hearing and resolution of any appeals. Claim Depot

  • Attorneys’ fees and a service award to the class representative are also part of the settlement administrative costs. Claim Depot+1

Implications & Lessons for Companies

Legal & Compliance Risks

  • Even when breaches are historic (2022), litigation can span into 2025 and beyond.

  • Delay in notification may be a key point of liability in breach litigation.

  • Settlements of this size are modest — the total fund may not fully match the exposure or damages claimed.

Cybersecurity & Operational Lessons

  • Access control and account hygiene: The vector here was an old employee account. Dormant accounts should be disabled or removed.

  • Incident detection & response: The longer the attack goes undetected, the greater the window for harm and legal exposure.

  • Data minimization & retention: Retaining highly sensitive data longer than necessary increases long-tail risk.

  • Timely, transparent communication: Proactive disclosure assists impacted individuals and can reduce secondary harm — delays are closely scrutinized in class actions.

  • Litigation readiness: Organizations should prepare evidence preservation, forensics, and compliance with state and federal breach notification laws before litigation begins.

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