Managing Partner
NEW YORK, NY – [June 27, 2025] – Woods Lonergan PLLC, a leading complex litigation firm specializing in class action data breach lawsuits and data privacy litigation, is actively investigating a potential class action lawsuit against Ahold Delhaize USA Services, LLC, the parent company of major U.S. grocery brands, including Stop & Shop. This investigation follows the recent disclosure of a massive cybersecurity incident that has impacted approximately 2.2 million current and former employees across Ahold Delhaize USA companies.
Ahold Delhaize, a multinational retail and wholesale group, confirmed on November 6, 2024, that it discovered unauthorized access to its internal U.S. business systems. The intrusion, linked to the notorious INC Ransom ransomware group, involved the extraction of sensitive files between November 5 and 6, 2024. This breach underscores a critical failure in protecting the personal and employment-related information of a vast workforce.
The Ahold Delhaize data breach potentially exposed a wide range of your most confidential information, including:
- Full Names
- Contact Information (postal and email address, telephone number)
- Dates of Birth
- Government-Issued Identification Numbers (Social Security Numbers (SSNs), passport numbers, driver’s license numbers)
- Financial Account Information (e.g., bank account number)
- Health Information (e.g., workers’ compensation information and medical information contained in employment records)
- Employment-Related Data
If you are a current or former employee of Stop & Shop and believe your information may have been compromised in this Ahold Delhaize data breach, your personal, financial, and medical privacy may be at severe risk. Call Woods Lonergan PLLC, a leading firm in data breach litigation, to discuss your legal options today at (332) 286-4887 to speak with our Data Breach Litigation Team today.
Details of the Ahold Delhaize Data Breach: Employee Data Compromised
Ahold Delhaize USA Services, LLC, the shared-services division supporting well-known U.S. supermarket brands, including Stop & Shop, detected unauthorized activity on its internal U.S. business systems on November 6, 2024. An investigation, supported by external cybersecurity experts and federal law enforcement, revealed that an unauthorized third party accessed and extracted files from an internal U.S. file repository between November 5 and 6, 2024.
The company has now confirmed that these stolen files included sensitive employment records pertaining to current and former personnel affiliated with Ahold Delhaize USA companies. This means individuals who have worked for Stop & Shop in states like Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, and Rhode Island, along with other Ahold Delhaize banner stores, are among those affected. While Ahold Delhaize states its business operations were quickly restored after initial disruptions to online orders and pharmacies, the considerable delay in confirming the scope of the affected individuals is a serious concern. It has taken approximately seven months since the breach was discovered for Ahold Delhaize to begin notifying the over 2.2 million affected individuals. This prolonged period leaves former and current employees vulnerable to potential misuse of their data without timely awareness.
INC Ransom: The Cybercriminals Behind the Attack
Although Ahold Delhaize has not officially named the perpetrators, the INC Ransom ransomware group publicly claimed responsibility for the attack in April 2025, posting samples of allegedly stolen documents on its dark web extortion portal. While Ahold Delhaize has avoided directly confirming INC Ransom’s involvement, the evidence strongly points to this group.
INC Ransom is a notorious ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operation that emerged in July 2023. They are known for their sophisticated tactics, which include exploiting vulnerabilities (such as in Citrix NetScaler) and deploying phishing campaigns to gain initial access. Once inside a network, they are adept at lateral movement and data exfiltration, employing a “double extortion” model where they steal sensitive data before encrypting systems, threatening to leak or sell the data if a ransom is not paid.
This group has a history of targeting a wide range of organizations, particularly in the healthcare, education, government, and industrial sectors across Europe and the U.S. Their list of over 250 claimed victims includes high-profile entities like Scotland’s National Health Service (NHS), Yamaha Motor Philippines, and the U.S. division of Xerox Business Solutions. Their reported shift to focus on U.S. targets, as well as their willingness to extract highly sensitive data like financial and health information, makes their alleged involvement in the Ahold Delhaize breach particularly alarming for affected Stop & Shop employees.
If you are a current or former employee of Stop & Shop and believe your information may have been compromised in this Ahold Delhaize data breach, your personal, financial, and medical privacy may be at severe risk. Call Woods Lonergan PLLC, a leading firm in data breach litigation, to discuss your legal options today at (332) 286-4887 to speak with our Data Breach Litigation Team today.
Who Was Affected by the Stop & Shop / Ahold Delhaize Data Breach?
The Ahold Delhaize data breach impacts approximately 2,242,521 individuals across all its U.S. supermarket brands. For this specific investigation, our focus is on current and former employees of Stop & Shop.
Given that Ahold Delhaize USA Services provides centralized support for Stop & Shop (which operates extensively across Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, and Rhode Island), along with Food Lion, The Giant Company, Giant Food, and Hannaford, the compromised files contain comprehensive employment-related records across these banners. If you are, or were, an employee of Stop & Shop in any capacity, and you receive a data breach notification letter from Ahold Delhaize, or suspect your personal information was part of this incident, you are among the potentially affected individuals.
Potential Impact on Current and Former Stop & Shop Employees
The Ahold Delhaize data breach, involving the exposure of such a wide array of highly sensitive personal, financial, health, and employment data, places current and former Stop & Shop employees at significant and ongoing risk of:
- Financial Identity Theft: Stolen Social Security Numbers (SSNs), bank account numbers, and other financial data can be used by criminals to open fraudulent accounts, make unauthorized purchases, and commit various forms of financial fraud.
- Employment Fraud: Compromised employment-related information could lead to fraudulent unemployment claims or other forms of employment-related scams.
- Medical Identity Theft: Exposed health information and workers’ compensation data can be used to obtain fraudulent medical services or prescriptions, potentially leading to inaccurate medical records and unexpected bills.
- Tax Fraud: Stolen SSNs are a prime target for filing fraudulent tax returns.
- Targeted Phishing and Social Engineering Attacks: The detailed personal and employment information makes victims highly vulnerable to sophisticated phishing emails, calls, or texts. Cybercriminals can use this data to impersonate legitimate entities (like banks, healthcare providers, or even Ahold Delhaize) to extract even more sensitive information or deploy further malware.
- Privacy Violations and Potential Blackmail: The exposure of such comprehensive personal and health details can lead to severe privacy violations and, in extreme cases, potential blackmail or extortion.
- Emotional Distress and Anxiety: The realization that intimate personal and employment records have been compromised can cause significant and lasting emotional distress.
Ahold Delhaize is offering 24 months of free credit monitoring and/or identity theft protection services to some affected individuals. While this may offer some financial monitoring, it does not address the fundamental violation of privacy or the long-term risks associated with compromised government IDs and health information, which can be misused for decades.
Legal Claims in the Ahold Delhaize Data Breach Lawsuit
Woods Lonergan PLLC’s Data Breach attorneys are focused on potential violations of law and legal claims in the Ahold Delhaize data breach case, including:
- Negligence: Ahold Delhaize’s alleged failure to adequately protect highly sensitive employee data, its susceptibility to sophisticated ransomware attacks like INC Ransom, and the extensive delay of approximately seven months in identifying the scope of affected individuals and providing timely notification. This delay, coupled with the sensitive nature of the data, suggests a significant lapse in duty to its current and former employees.
- Breach of Contract: Potential implied or express breach of contracts with employees and former employees to protect their confidential information, which was provided in the course of employment.
- State Data Breach Notification Laws: Violations of relevant state laws (including Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and potentially other states where affected Stop & Shop employees reside) requiring timely notification and adequate data security measures. The considerable delay in notification may constitute a violation of these statutes.
- HIPAA Violations: To the extent that employee health information (PHI) was compromised, Ahold Delhaize may also be found in violation of its obligations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
- Other Potential Claims: Depending on the specific circumstances and applicable state laws, additional claims may be possible as our investigation uncovers more details.
“The Ahold Delhaize data breach is a profound betrayal of trust for 2.2 million current and former employees, including those who dedicated their careers to Stop & Shop,” said Jim Woods, Managing Partner of Woods Lonergan PLLC. “When a company collects and stores such a comprehensive array of sensitive personal, financial, and health data on its workforce, it assumes a paramount responsibility to secure it. The seven-month delay in notifying these individuals, coupled with the involvement of a notorious ransomware group like INC Ransom, raises serious questions about Ahold Delhaize’s cybersecurity protocols. Our firm is committed to holding them accountable and securing justice and compensation for every affected employee.”
What Current and Former Stop & Shop Employees Can Do Now
If you are a current or former Stop & Shop employee and you received a data breach notification from Ahold Delhaize, or suspect your information was compromised, taking immediate action is crucial:
- Review the Notification Letter: Carefully read any communication from Ahold Delhaize to understand which specific types of your personal information were exposed.
- Monitor Financial Accounts and Credit Reports: Closely scrutinize all financial statements, credit card activity, and your credit reports for any unauthorized or suspicious transactions. You are entitled to a free credit report annually from each of the three major credit bureaus.
- Consider a Fraud Alert or Credit Freeze: Placing a fraud alert makes it harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name. A credit freeze offers stronger protection by restricting access to your credit report altogether.
- Change Passwords: Update passwords for all online accounts, especially those linked to your employment with Stop & Shop or that use similar credentials. Use strong, unique passwords and consider using a password manager.
- Be Vigilant Against Phishing Attempts: Be highly suspicious of unsolicited emails, texts, or calls, as cybercriminals may use the stolen data to craft targeted phishing or social engineering attacks. Do not click on suspicious links or provide personal information.
- Consult Legal Professionals: To understand your full rights and potential legal recourse, contact experienced data breach attorneys. Joining an Ahold Delhaize / Stop & Shop employee data breach class action lawsuit can be an effective way to seek compensation for damages, including financial losses, emotional distress, and the permanent loss of privacy from compromised employment and personal data.
Contact Our Data Breach Litigation Team
If you are a current or former Stop & Shop employee and you believe your personal, financial, or health information was exposed in the Ahold Delhaize data breach, your privacy and security may be at risk. Contact Woods Lonergan PLLC, a leading firm in data breach litigation, to discuss your legal options. Please call Woods Lonergan PLLC at (332) 286-4887 to speak with our Data Breach Litigation Team today. Our experienced data breach lawyers are ready to provide a confidential consultation and help you understand how to protect your rights and pursue justice.
About Woods Lonergan PLLC
Woods Lonergan PLLC is a leading New York-based litigation firm specializing in complex civil litigation, including class action data privacy and cybersecurity matters. We have a proven track record of successfully holding corporations accountable for data breaches and protecting the rights of consumers. Our firm is currently representing plaintiffs in the 23andMe data Breach Lawsuit, wherein a proposed settlement of $30 million dollars is pending approval in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Woods Lonergan has a proven track record of successfully holding large corporations accountable for failing to protect highly sensitive consumer data.
Citations
- Ahold Delhaize. (June 27, 2025). Ahold Delhaize Data Breach Notification (Maine). Schwartz, Mathew J. (June 27, 2025). Food Retail Giant’s Breach: 2.2 Million Employees Affected. BankInfoSecurity. Jones, Connor. (June 27, 2025).
- Ahold Delhaize says 2.2M affected after cyberattack. The Register.
- Toulas, Bill. (June 27, 2025). Retail giant Ahold Delhaize says data breach affects 2.2 million people. BleepingComputer.
- Cyble. (February 20, 2025). INC Ransom: A Sophisticated Ransomware & Data Extortion Group.