Almeida Law Group is investigating a data breach at Cabot Packing LLC. The breach occurred on June 5th, 2026. If you were affected, contact Almeida Law Group.
About Cabot Packing LLC
Cabot Packing LLC is an agricultural entity affiliated with The HMC Group Marketing, Inc., which operates as HMC Farms — a leading grower, packer, shipper, and marketer of stone fruit and table grapes in California’s San Joaquin Valley. The company is based in Kingsburg, California (Fresno County), with additional operations in Reedley, California, and farms over 6,000 acres. Cabot Packing LLC is registered with the CCOF under the doing-business-as name “HMC Reedley” and shares the same Kingsburg address as The HMC Group Marketing, Inc. The breach notice was sent on behalf of The HMC Group Marketing, Inc. and involved employee personal information.
What Happened?
Cabot Packing LLC was listed in a California Attorney General sample breach notice. On June 5th, 2026, the company detected unusual activity on its computer networks and immediately launched an investigation with the assistance of outside experts. The investigation concluded on June 23rd, 2026 and determined that employee personal information could have been accessed or downloaded during the incident. The specific data types are redacted in the breach notice, though the Spanish-language version of the notice indicates that names were among the affected fields, followed by at least one additional redacted data element. The notice was dated July 10th, 2026 and offers 12 months of credit monitoring and proactive fraud assistance through Cyberscout, a TransUnion company. Affected individuals must enroll by October 10th, 2026.
The Settra ransomware group claimed HMC Farms (hmcfarms.com) as a victim on its dark web extortion portal, with the claim recorded on June 28th, 2026 and an estimated attack date of June 4th, 2026 — one day before the breach date stated in the notice. Settra is a newly emerged threat group first observed in June 2026 that employs a double-extortion model, combining data encryption with the threat of public exposure of stolen data. No decryptor for Settra is currently known to exist. No class action lawsuits related to this incident have been filed as of July 2026.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Company or Organization: Cabot Packing LLC (affiliated with The HMC Group Marketing, Inc. / HMC Farms)
- Industry: Agriculture — fruit growing, packing, shipping, and marketing (stone fruit and table grapes)
- Location: Kingsburg, California (Fresno County); also Reedley, California
- Incident type: Ransomware / data extortion (Settra ransomware group)
- Date of breach: June 5th, 2026
- Date breach discovered: June 23rd, 2026
- Date of consumer notification: July 10th, 2026
- Identity theft protection offered: 12 months of single-bureau credit monitoring, credit report, credit score, and proactive fraud assistance via Cyberscout (TransUnion)
- Enrollment deadline: October 10th, 2026
- Source: California Attorney General sample breach notice — https://oag.ca.gov/ecrime/databreach/reports/sb24-626417; Ransomware.live — https://www.ransomware.live/id/aG1jZmFybXMuY29tQHNldHRyYQ; Proven Data — https://www.provendata.com/blog/settra-ransomware
What Should You Do?
If you received a notice from Cabot Packing LLC or The HMC Group Marketing, Inc., enroll in the complimentary Cyberscout credit monitoring service at https://bfs.cyberscout.com/activate before the October 10th, 2026 deadline. You should also consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze with the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to make it harder for someone to open new accounts in your name. Review your financial account statements closely for any unfamiliar transactions, and check your free credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com. If you discover signs of identity theft, report them to the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov, which can generate a personalized recovery plan.
Your Legal Rights
If your personal 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.
