Suffolk Cyberattack: Tax Arrears Notices Mailed To 100s In Error: Report

HAUPPAUGE, NY — Tax arrears notices were mailed out by the Suffolk County Comptroller's office erroneously to 226 homeowners due to workers’ unfamiliarity with software installed after the September cyberattack, Newsday reported.

Tax bills, which were sent by town tax receivers in December for payments due for 2022-23 from homeowners who won tax grievances in the past three years, included the notices, Comptroller John M. Kennedy Jr. told the outlet.

Huntington had the largest amount of notices with 130, Babylon 70, Islip 12, Smithtown 10, and Brookhaven and Southampton town had two each, the outlet reported. Kennedy apologized and said recipients should follow instructions on the back of the notice, according to the outlet.

“They should call 631-852-1501; that will take them directly to my delinquent tax section in Riverhead, where they will speak to a member of my staff who will confirm for them that their prior property tax has been fully paid, they have no arrears and that they are in good standing,” Kennedy told the outlet.

Residents who were affected can also go to paymysuffolktaxes.com and look up their property, where they’ll see there is a zero balance, the outlet reported.

Patch has reached out to Kennedy for comment.

For more in Newsday, click here.

Suffolk County government's web-based applications were breached in what officials later described as a ransomware attack on Sept. 8. Officials announced in November that the driver’s license numbers of nearly 500,000 people, who were issued violations in the county's police district, the area patrolled by Suffolk police outside villages, were possibly exposed.

The personal information of current and former employees was also exposed.

County officials have since made available credit monitoring and restoration services for those people affected by the breach.

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