Attorneys at Almeida Law Group are investigating whether a class action lawsuit can be filed on behalf of individuals affected by a possible New Century Ophthalmology Group data breach. According to dark web monitoring sources, a hacker group calling itself incransom claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on New Century Ophthalmology Group in a post first observed in August 2026, alleging it had gained access to internal company systems. As of this writing, New Century Ophthalmology Group has not issued a public confirmation of the incident, and the exact scope of any exposed data remains unknown. If you believe you were affected, contact Almeida Law Group.
About New Century Ophthalmology Group
New Century Ophthalmology Group (also operating as NCO Eye Center and New Century Ophthalmology, PC) is an ophthalmology practice with locations in Raleigh and Oxford, North Carolina. Founded in 2001 in Oxford by Dr. Vinod Jindal, a board-certified ophthalmologist and fellowship-trained retina specialist who serves as Medical Director and President, the practice opened a second location in Raleigh in December 2009. It provides medical, laser, surgical, and optical eye care services, including cataract surgery, glaucoma treatment, oculoplastic procedures, retina and vitreous surgery, and routine eye exams for adults and children. As of late 2025, the practice filed to convert its Raleigh facility into an Ambulatory Surgical Center. As a healthcare provider, the practice is a HIPAA-covered entity.
What Happened?
New Century Ophthalmology Group was listed in a ransomware leak-site allegation reported by Ransomware.live. According to that claim, first observed on August 31st, 2026, the ransomware group INC Ransom posted New Century Ophthalmology Group on its dark web leak site. The listing was also independently noted by RecentBreaches.com and Red Packet Security. However, the leak-site post contained no screenshots, downloadable files, ransom demand details, data volume figures, or descriptions of allegedly stolen data types. No public confirmation, breach notice, or regulatory filing from New Century Ophthalmology Group has been found, and no independent journalism or government source has confirmed the incident. Red Packet Security explicitly flagged that listings attributed to INC Ransom have been reported as including unverified or fabricated victim claims, so the allegation should be treated with caution.
INC Ransom is a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operation that emerged in mid-2023 and is also tracked under the aliases GOLD IONIC and G1032. The group is known for double extortion tactics—exfiltrating data before encrypting systems and then threatening to publish stolen files. As of 2026, INC Ransom is among the top five most active ransomware groups globally, with more than 800 claimed victims since 2023, and healthcare is one of its top five targeted sectors.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Company or Organization: New Century Ophthalmology Group
- Industry: Healthcare – Ophthalmology
- Location: Raleigh and Oxford, North Carolina
- Incident type: Ransomware leak-site allegation (dark web claim; unconfirmed)
- Claim first observed: August 31st, 2026
- Source: Ransomware.live – New Century Ophthalmology Group; Red Packet Security – INCRANSOM Ransomware Victim: New Century Ophthalmology Group; Acronis – Evolution of INC Ransomware
What Should You Do?
If you are a patient or employee of New Century Ophthalmology Group, it is reasonable to take precautionary steps even though the breach has not been confirmed. Consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze with the three major credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—and monitoring your accounts and credit reports closely for unfamiliar activity. You can request free annual credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com. Because New Century Ophthalmology Group is a healthcare provider, also review any Explanation of Benefits statements from your health insurer and check your medical records for services you do not recognize. If you believe your information has been misused, visit IdentityTheft.gov to report the issue and get a personalized recovery plan.
Your Legal Rights
If your personal or health information was involved in this breach, you may have legal rights depending on the facts of the incident and the law in your state. Almeida Law Group represents consumers in data breach and privacy litigation and can help you evaluate whether you may have a claim. Contact us at (708) 529-5418 or through our contact page for a free case evaluation.
