Just received a notice letter? Cases are filed first-come, first-served. You may be entitled to compensation.
Department of RevenueState was the subject of a data breach notification filed with the MA Attorney General. The AG filing was recorded on February 25, 2025.
From the AG filing description
The Department of RevenueState functions as a critical state-level administrative and regulatory body responsible for overseeing public finance, tax administration, and state revenue collection. Entities of this nature operate at the nexus of public administration and financial infrastructure, processing state tax returns, managing corporate and individual tax liabilities, and overseeing state treasury distributions. Because of their core mandate, they maintain expansive, highly centralized databases containing comprehensive financial profiles for virtually every adult resident and business entity operating within the jurisdiction. This vast repository makes the Department of RevenueState an indispensable pillar of state governance, yet it also transforms the agency into an immensely high-value target for malicious cyber actors seeking to harvest lucrative, high-risk personally identifiable information and financial records. In 2025, the Department of RevenueState formally reported a significant security incident to the Massachusetts Attorney General, signaling a critical breakdown in digital perimeter defense. While public disclosures continue to evolve, data security incidents impacting government revenue agencies typically involve sophisticated network intrusions, unauthorized access to legacy or cloud-based database systems, or compromises of third-party vendor software utilized for tax processing and data analytics. Government entities frequently struggle with complex IT environments, underfunded cybersecurity infrastructure, and the immense challenge of securing sprawling networks that interface daily with millions of external users, tax professionals, and financial institutions. The breach exposed an exceptionally sensitive array of personal and financial data, creating severe and long-lasting risks for affected individuals. Exposed categories routinely include full names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, home addresses, bank routing and account numbers, and detailed state tax return information, including wage and income transcripts. The compromise of Social Security numbers and tax records provides identity thieves and fraudsters with the foundational building blocks required to execute synthetic identity creation, unauthorized tax refund redirection, and fraudulent credit applications. Unlike transient credentials, core identifiers like Social Security numbers cannot be changed, leaving victims exposed to the perpetual threat of financial fraud and identity theft for years to come. Operating as a custodian of sensitive public data, the Department of RevenueState is bound by stringent legal obligations under state data protection statutes, common law privacy doctrines, and federal security standards. These regulations mandate the implementation of robust administrative, physical, and technical safeguards—including advanced encryption, multi-factor authentication, regular vulnerability testing, and strict access controls—to protect citizen data from unauthorized disclosure. The occurrence of a data breach of this magnitude serves as strong prima facie evidence of a failure to maintain reasonable and appropriate security practices, directly breaching the duty of care owed to the public whose information the agency is statutorily compelled to collect. Receiving an official data breach notification letter from the Department of RevenueState is a formal legal admission that your private information was compromised due to inadequate security measures. Under Massachusetts law, this notification establishes the legal standing necessary to participate in a class action lawsuit aimed at holding the agency accountable and securing financial compensation for the risks and burdens imposed upon you. Importantly, victims are not required to prove that they have already suffered direct financial loss to seek legal relief; the increased risk of identity theft and the time and expense required to monitor credit are recognized harms in themselves. Our firm evaluates and litigates these claims on a strict contingency fee basis, meaning you pay absolutely nothing out of pocket, and we only collect a fee if we successfully recover compensation on your behalf.
Based on the data types reported in this filing:
Your SSN is the master key to your identity. Once exposed, criminals can open new lines of credit, take out loans, or file taxes in your name.
Combined with a name and other leaked data, date of birth helps criminals pass identity verification questions at banks and government agencies.
You may have been affected by the Department of RevenueState data breach if:
Common categories of compensation in data breach class actions
Courts recognize that the time spent monitoring accounts, placing credit freezes, and dealing with the aftermath of a breach has real economic value. This category of damages is recoverable even without direct financial loss.
Professional credit monitoring services cost $10–$40 per month. Identity theft restoration services, if needed, can cost hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars. Courts have awarded these costs as direct damages in SSN breach cases.
Direct financial losses resulting from the breach — unauthorized charges, fraudulent transfers, or fees incurred through fraud — are recoverable as compensatory damages. Banks may reverse some charges; a class action recovers the remainder and associated costs.
Data breach victims regularly report anxiety, loss of sleep, and ongoing fear of identity theft. These non-economic harms are cognizable injuries in data breach litigation, particularly in cases involving SSN or medical record exposure.
Note: an attorney general breach filing does not by itself establish a settlement fund, a payment amount, or a claim deadline. If an official settlement notice is later issued, rely on that notice for payment details and deadlines.
Applicable State Law
This breach was reported under the Massachusetts Data Security Law (201 CMR 17.00), which mandates notification and establishes your right to seek damages.
No. Under Massachusetts Data Security Law (201 CMR 17.00) and federal law, the unauthorized exposure of your personal data — regardless of whether it has been actively misused — can be sufficient grounds for a claim. The breach itself is the injury.
Nothing. The Law Office of David S. Harris handles data breach cases on contingency — you pay zero upfront and owe nothing unless compensation is recovered.
Immediately place a free credit freeze at all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion). A freeze blocks new accounts from being opened in your name. Then file a complaint with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov and contact our office — SSN exposure is one of the most serious breach types.
Banks may reverse fraudulent charges, but they are not obligated to compensate you for time lost, stress, or indirect damages. A class action claim against the breached company can recover those additional categories of harm.
Statutes of limitations for data breach claims vary by state but typically run 2–4 years. Depending on when you learned of the breach, you may still have time. Contact our office for a free eligibility review — there is no cost to find out.
Accepting free credit monitoring from Department of RevenueState does not waive your right to pursue legal action unless you signed a specific release waiving claims. In most cases, victims who accepted monitoring can still file.
Not necessarily. Many data breach victims are never notified directly. If your personal information was held by Department of RevenueState during the relevant period, you may still qualify even without receiving a letter. A free eligibility review can confirm your status.
Received a notification letter from Department of RevenueState?
Read our dedicated guide — what the letter means and what to do.
Learn how to participate in the class action and what compensation you may be entitled to.
Join the Class Action →Use our verification tool to confirm your letter matches this official AG filing.
Verify My Notice LetterThis case file references a public filing made with the state filing in MA. This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by any state government agency.
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