We are posting to inform our clients of a recent cybersecurity incident involving Epstein & O’Donovan, LLP. Two of our team members—Dennis J. O’Donovan and Angela Hagan —experienced unauthorized access to their email accounts for a brief period. The accounts were promptly secured, and we have taken immediate steps to enhance our system safeguards.
Our information technology provider informs us that the only exposure was to e-mails. No portion of our system that contains confidential client information was accessed. However, out of an abundance of caution, we want to make you aware of the situation and provide guidance to help protect you from potential fraudulent activity.
What You Should Do:
- Verify the sender. Be cautious of any email that appears to come from our firm, especially if it seems unusual, unexpected, or requests any kind of sensitive information.
- Confirm with Epstein & O’Donovan directly. If you receive an email that raises questions—even if it looks like it is from your attorney, paralegal, or anyone at Epstein & O’Donovan, LLP—please call us at (207) 772-4100 to verify that any request for information came from a team member here, especially if it is “urgent.”
- Watch for “spear phishing.” Hackers sometimes use compromised or fake accounts to impersonate trusted contacts. Exercise caution with messages that create urgency, request funds, or ask for unusual actions.
- Do not share personal or financial information via email. We will never ask you to provide sensitive information (such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, or passwords) by email. Our firm uses a secure, encrypted platform for sharing this type of information with clients.
- Be alert for suspicious attachments or links. Do not click on links or open attachments unless you are certain of the sender’s identity and the email’s authenticity.
- We do not accept online payments and we have not changed our address for billing purposes. Our mailing address remains: Epstein & O’Donovan, LLP, Two Monument Square, Portland, ME 04101. If you receive invoices with a different address, or if you receive any requests for online payment to our firm, please be aware that these are not from Epstein & O’Donovan, LLP. We currently only accept payment for services via cash or check, and we have no plans to change this policy in the future.
We take the security of your information seriously and are committed to protecting it. If you have any concerns or receive a message that seems suspicious, please reach out to us immediately at (207) 772-4100. Thank you for your vigilance and for your trust in Epstein & O’Donovan, LLP.